


Past Tense

by LLN3dseestheLight



Series: The Begining Is The End [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Xander Harris, F/F, F/M, Female Xander Harris, Gen, Gender Issues, Gender or Sex Swap, Humor, Hyena Xander Harris, M/M, Mystical Sex Changes are a thing, Slow burn to Xander/Spike, Time Travel, Xander-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 21:20:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 47,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4850912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LLN3dseestheLight/pseuds/LLN3dseestheLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Xander made a deal with the PTB's and he got send back in time but some changes are made...It's not so much about changing the events of the past, Xander will find, but letting the past change you...And that to every rule, there is that one exception to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Irony of Life

_It was a peaceful night, quiet. Just a few hours before dawn and not a thing was stirring, when suddenly the pre-dawn light was broken by loud pounding music and the squealing of tires on tarmac. The whining pitch of turbines pushed to their limits, rang through the air. The black Desoto 'FireFlite' came flying around the corner with a reckless grinding of it's gears. Jumping the curb it unerringly aimed itself at the sign that proclaimed ' **Welcome to Sunnydale** ' smashing into it and knocking it down. _ _The Desto came to a halt and seemed to grow; and grumble like some kind of beast for a moment before the engine was abruptly cut off. The door to the classic car was roughly kicked open as the driver got out and walked to the side of the road to survey his handy work, his shoulders slumped and a look of resignation crossed his face._

_Taking a drag from the cigarette, the wiry driver pulled it from his mouth and sighed in disgust as he said, " Well that tears it, its 'Home Sweet Home,' alright."_

 

Xander gasped awake, sitting up she looked around her room, pushing sweat soaked hair from her face and panting for breath, "What a night mare," she muttered looking at her clock groaning she dropped back into her bed hoping she could get a few more hours of sleep. Xander had thought this summer would never end. Mostly because she had been by herself for the most of it.

Buffy was in LA with her dad. Willow was in New York with her parents because they had some sort of conference they wanted to attend. Thus leaving Xander alone on the Hellmouth. If it hadn't been for her adventures in babysitting Billy Palmer... That had involved a talking pug, a flashy do-dad, and a couple of men in black...don't ask. Beause Xander _still_ isn't sure what happened.

Xander turned over on to her stomach, with a sigh. Thinking about the one night at the Bronze where she had seen Amy Madison getting drinks for herself and Jonathan with out paying for them. When Xander had asked the bartender about it he had said she had paid for them.

Amy had used magic.

So, Xander had talked to Giles and brought the two to the library earlier that day... Jonathan had been surprised at his girlfriend's magic abilities but had been glad that it wasn't something else which had cause her to lose her mind and want to be a cheerleader.

But that Amy had in fact been possessed by her own mother.

Giles pointed out that Jonathan had been reading the books in the Special section. And he didn't want the boy to try any of the spells in them without asking Giles about them. Xander had talked the two teens into being trained by Giles and Jenny Calendar in magic, knowing their mojo could come in handy later and could also protect them.

 _Because any thing had to be better than what had happened to them before._ Xander thought sleepily as she sat up knowing she wasn't going to get any more sleep. She was just glad that Willow had gotten back yesterday and  would be keeping and eye on Amy and Jonathan. When Xander went on patrol with Angel, she got up and got dressed. She had to met Willow, Amy and Johnathan at the ice cream shop in a few hours anyway.

***

Willow walked down the street with Amy and Jonathan. She had wondered at how wise it was that they knew about the supernatural, but they both had magic so they would have been drawn into it anyway. Willow had been having fun playing the movie quote game with them as they walked to the graveyard were they were suppose to met up with Xander and Angel. It was fun getting to know Amy and Jonathan again, she had know ne since kindergarten but never really knew them. It had been a slow night until a vamp jumped out of the shadows at them, he shoved past the redhead, as if something was chasing him. He got about five feet before the vampire was tackled by a blonde blur. Buffy stood up, dusting off her clothes after she staked the vampire, she looked at Willow and said,

"Did you miss me?"

The three teens blinked at Buffy, as Willow said, "When did you get back," she hugged the Slayer.

"Tonight. Dad drove me. I figured you and Xan would be getting into trouble without me."

"How was your summer? Did you slay anything?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked at Amy and Jonathan.

Willow rolled her eyes, "You dusted a vampire in front of them plus they are in the know, you know."

"Really," Buffy drawled out, "Why do I sense Xander behind that?"

"Because she was." Willow told her, then looked at where she had staked the vampire, "That was the first one I've since I've been back from New York. Amy said it had been mostly vamp free in the Dale for most of the summer."

"Huh, it was like they knew I was coming back."

"Or it could be because Xander has been patrolling all summer." Jonathan said rolling his eyes.

"Xander's patrolling?' Buffy asked.

"Yeah, ever since we helped Mr. Giles bury those bones out by that tree," Amy said pointing to a huge old looking tree," at Willow's confused and Bufy's disinterested looks Amy continued, "That's right you two missed it. Giles poured holy water on the bones and we chanted."

"We also got to wear some bitching robes," Jonathan babbled out, " and we got to keep them!"

Buffy looked pointedly away from the tree and said, "So, where is Xander? I don't like this Xander-less state."

"Oh, she's in Restfield with Angel." Amy said.

"Uh," was all Buffy said.

Willow smiled, "I'm glad you're back, Buffy."

"Huh, yeah," Buffy said, sounding as though she didn't mean it, "Me too."

"Not that I mean to interrupt your bonding moment but we still have to met Xander." Jonathan reminded them.

Willow smiled, as she asked, "You want to come with?"

Buffy nodded and they all continued on to the graveyard.

***

Xander's flight through the air came to a suddenly stop by the use of a crypt wall. _Ugh, Mr. Wall, why didn't you move?_ Xander thought as she rolled to her feet, when the big male vampire growled at her. _Next time Deadboy can be the bait._ She kicked the vampire away from her. Xander saw that Angel was sitting on a tome stone watching her get her ass kicked with a smirk. _Let it not be said that I didn't try to like him but he's so **Angel...**_ _he makes it impossible!_

Xander's distraction cost her as she took a kick to the stomach, under the wheeze of air being forced out of her she swore she heard Deadboy chuckle. _Glad to know I'm still good for a laugh._

Growling, Xander grabbed the vampire that had kicked her, by the arm and twisted it roughly until it was wrenched behind its back. Then the vampire seemed to spontaneously dust. Xander blinked getting the dust from her eyes and saw Buffy standing holding a stake in front of her, wearing a cold smirk on her face.

"Tisk-tisk, what would you do without me?"

"Die of old age?" Xander snarked back.

"Buffy," Angel started.

But Buffy held up a hand, "Save it," turning away from the souled vampire, but over her shoulder said, "Don't you have a crypt to haunt?"

Angel took that as his cue to leave and faded into the shadows.

Xander frowned, this was the same as the _Before_ this Cordelia-esque attitude that Slayer had.

"What's with the two new losers joining our group? Why didn't I get the memo?" Buffy said, not looking at said losers, Amy and Jonathan as they glared at the blonde girl.

Xander rolled her eyes, "I did call you. It's not my fault very message I left went to voice mail. You never answered any of them anyway. Sorry our simple life couldn't compete with that of the big city."

Buffy started to reply but Xander cut her off with, "I'm glad you are back, Buffy."

Buffy smiled, though Xander could tell it never reached her eyes.

 

 


	2. Irony Of Life 2

After school the next day, Xander was sitting in the library with her feet up on the table in front of her, watching Buffy as the blonde did some impressive tumbling and kicking exercises that took her took her all over the library. Giles brought out two quarterstaffs telling them he wanted them to spar with each other so he could see where he needed to concentrate their training.

"Don't worry, Xan. I'll go easy on you." Buffy said when she saw Xander's worried look.

Xander snorted spinning the staff her hands in a clockwise motion, "Just bring it," then said slyly, "If you can."

"Oh, I'll do more than bring it," Buffy said as she swung the staff at Xander who blocked it.

And so the fight was on.

They traded blows at a blinding speed seeming to be evenly matched. When Buffy saw an opening in Xander's defense, taking it she knocked Xander into the tables.

"So, we done?" Buffy asked carelessly spinning her staff.

Xander stood up shaking off the hit. "Hardly," Xander replied swinging her staff at the Slayer who barely blocked the shot in time. The clashing of the staffs seemed to echo in the room. Buffy's blows seemed to gain more and more power behind them. Xander was seeing the true power of the slayer coming to the surface with each blow. Xander even with all the training she had done over the summer knew she couldn't keep up long against Buffy, unless she changed into her Primal form. But Xander didn't want to do that because that was something that Xander kept as last resort.

Buffy using all the power she could call up, swung her staff downward in a powerful over hand blow. Xander staff was smashed in two as she blocked it.

"That's enough, Buffy..." Giles stated.

Buffy being so focused on Xander didn't hear him and kept swinging her staff.

Xander used the two broken pieces of her staff to block Buffy's. Xander knew Buffy didn't like to lose and that she could really hurt Buffy's chances of survival if she damaged the Slayer's self-esteem and self confidence-but Xander was not about to let Buffy keep whaling on her either. Xander trapped Buffy's staff in between the two pieces of her own. Wrenching it from the Slayer's grasp and throwing both weapons away from them.

Buffy growled, stepping towards Xander.

"ENOUGH BUFFY!" Giles shouted at his Slayer, who froze. Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them, " I suppose it's safe to say that you've stayed in shape."

"I'm ready," Buffy mumbled turning away from Giles and Xander. Buffy reached up and pulled her ponytail tighter, "Whatever _they_ have got coming next, I'll be ready!" she walked over to the training dummy, punching it, "Yeah."

Xander and Giles exchanged a concerned look.

***

That night in a warehouse a vampire named Absalom looked at the group of vampires gathering around. These were the few that had survived the Master's Rising and the Hunts by the Hyena. The child vampire, Colin,  the Anointed One sat on the floor to the side watching him. Absalom shuddered, he never much like the thought of turning children. So he turned his back on the child, never seeing the glare he got, as he began to speak,

"We have been out down, my kinsmen. We've lost the night to the Slayer and to that beast...The Hyena." He paused sighing dramatically, "But despair is for the living... Where humans would weep, we shall rejoice! Where they would bleed? We shall feed from," he chuckled at the mindless cheers he got, "Soon a new hope will rise! We will put our faith there," he pointed at Colin, _"_ And the Anointed One shall show us the way..."

"But the Master is dead!"

Absalom looked to see that it was Marley that had spoke. Marley had been one of the Master's favorites and well-known to be power hungry.

"Your point?"

"The Night of Saint Vigeous..."

Absalom tuned out the rest of what the vampire had to say, he was an idiot as far as Absalom was concerned. Absalom had plans big ones. Soon he was be ruling the Hellmouth-

"You were there, were you," an accented voice purred out form the shadows, catching Absalom's attention. A male vampire in demon face strolled into the bit of light they had, he had bleached blond hair and wore a long black leather duster, the vampire stopped in front of Marley, "If every vampire that said they were at the crucifixion was actually there? It would have been like Woodstock."

"I ought to rip your throat out," Marley growled at the newcomer.

The other smirked at Marley and turned away, "I, on the other hand _was_ actually at Woodstock..."he held up his hand, "That was a strange gig. Fed from a flower person, spent the next six hours watching my hand move," he slowly waved his hand in front of him.

Marley rushed the blond vampire who only swung his fisted hand back without looking, hitting Marley in the face, knocking him down and out, "So," Spike said turning to face Absalom, "I hear you have Slayer problems."

"Who are you?" Colin asked passively.

"Spike, and you are the Anointed One. Know about you." Spike said walking up to Colin, "Know what works with slayers, though?"

Colin shook his head.

"Killing them."

"Can you?" Colin asked, intrigued.

But before Spike could answer he froze, turning as he morphed back into his human face, _"Drusilla."_ A beautiful, pale, fey looking dark haired woman had walked in to the room, she was wearing an old fashion white dress. "You shouldn't be walking around, pet."

Drusilla brushed past him, staring at Colin, "This one has power. Could feel it from outside, I could." She smiled, "Do you like daisies?' Colin leaned back sneering slightly, but watched the vampiress with fearful eyes, "Hmm? I plant them but they always die...everything I put into the ground withers and dies" she whispered, her eyes vague, "all but my Spike... Spike," her voice sharper, "I'm cold," Drusilla said with a shiver.

Spike sighed, taking off his coat and wrapping it around the slight woman, "I got you, luv. You just let ol' Spike take care of you."

Drusilla picked Spike's cheek with a fingernail, a bead of blood welled up and ran down his face, Drusilla reached up and licked the blood way. She moved closer as if she were going to kiss him then stopped, they both turned to face Colin.

"Me an' Dru... We're moving in." Spike said pulling away from Drusilla, "I'll do your Slayer," Pausing as an irritated look passed over his face, "But You," Spike pointed at Colin, "You keep your flunkies from trying anything from behind my back. Deal?"

Colin nodded.

Drusilla suddenly put her hands to her temples, "I can't _see_ her. The Slayer...It's dark where she is! But... **SHE** can _see_ us! Beware the hyena, it's jaws are strong... _Kill her!"_ She looked at Spike her face full of fear, "Kill her, Spike. Kill her for me."

Spike pulled her closed whispering nonsense in her ear.

"Kill her for Princess?"

Spike pets Drusilla's hair for a moment before asking, "So, do you think this Slayer is really, tough?"

***

Buffy stood by her open locker with Willow telling her that Angel had shown up in her room last night.

"Wow, so he stopped by. Was there kissing?" Willow asked.

"Grow up Willow, not everything is about kissing?"

"Yeah," Xander said coming up to them with Amy and Jonathan in tow, "I hear it's more about the groping."

"Hormones on parade here? It was purely shoptalk." Buffy muttered.

"What was?" Amy asked.

"Angel's visit with Buffy," Willow told her.

"Oh, her boyfriend?" Jonathan asked.

Buffy glared, causing Jonathan to take a step back from her as she hissed, "He's not my boyfriend. Remember vampires, pointy teeth they walk in the night... Am I ringing any bells, here?"

"Vaguely." Xander said needling Buffy by saying it.

"Oh, that something's up." Buffy said closing her locker, "Nothing I can't handle." They all began to walk to the one class they all shared as Jonathan spoke up,

"Hey, did you guys hear, Cibo Matto is going to be at the Bronze tonight?"

"Cibo Matto, they're going to be playing?" Willow asked.

"No, Willow," Amy said, "their going to be clog dancing," with a straight face.

"Wow! Cibo Matto can clog dance?" Willow said looking impressed until she saw Xander slightly shake her head, "Oh, that was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

"We should go, right?" Jonathan asked.

Cordelia came out of a nearby classroom. "Well, if it isn't the Three Musketeers."

"Hum, there's five of us." Amy said.

"Please," Cordelia said with eye roll, "as if I'd associate you two with these losers."

Jonathan leaned over to Xander, "I think that was an insult."

Xander huffed, "Don't worry, it wasn't _you_ she insulted."

Cordelia rocked back on her heels, "So did you guys fight any demons over the summer?"

Willow looked around the hallway, at the other students going to and from their classes, "Uh, yes," Willow said, "personal demons?"

"Like Lust and thrift..."Jonathan said, blushing.

Buffy shook her head, "I would have gone with the Three Stooges," she muttered.

"What are you people, talking about? Big squiggly demon came out of the ground. The world almost ending? Spring Fling... Remember, all the vampires?" Cordelia said in a loud voice.

Xander took Cordelia to the side, "It's... See we can't mention that Buffy is the Slayer in front of other people," Xander noticed Cordelia's pointed look to Amy and Jonathan, "They are in the know. But only them."

"You haven't told anyone about our little adventure, have you?" Willow asked.

"Are you crazy? As if I'd admit to spending the whole evening with _you._ " Cordelia said glaring at Willow, "Besides it was creepy. The Master Guy and all that screaming? I don't even want to think about it." Cordelia turned to Buffy, "Your secret is safe with me."

"Well, that works out great," Buffy said brightly, "You won't tell anyone that I'm the Slayer and I won't tell anyone you're a moron," before she slammed her locker door and walked away.

"Wow," Amy said, "that was a really good insult."

"A little too good," Xander muttered to herself.

"What's up with her?" Cordelia asked confused.

***

 _Minions are stupid._ Spike thought to himself as he walked down the dark street, following a dark haired bint that he thought would make a good meal.

It was a known fact that minions were stupid. But it seemed to Spike that the minions in Sunnydale were _stupider_ than normal. Must be the Hellmouth. _After all how hard could it be to find one bloody teenage boy?_ Spike wondered, sneering to himself. Harris it seemed was elusive to the point that the minions Spike hadn't staked said there never had been a boy in the Slayer's little group called Xander Harris. Spike had staked the minion that said it on general purposes. It hadn't helped but it did make him feel better. Spike saw a vampire jumped out a few feet from his chosen meal. It intrigued him when she didn't scream seeming more annoyed than anything else.

"I just want to go to the Bronze," the girl muttered looking up into the night sky, "was that too _much_ to ask?" She then slipped past the vampire, growling as it tried to grab her. Spike watched as she began to fight it with some considerable skill and snarky quips. She ended up shoving the vamp to the ground as she pulled out a stake, but before she could stake it, Spike slipped out of the shadows and did it instead.

Spike gave the girl a smarmy smile, "Don't be shy in thanking me, ducks." He strutted over to where she stood tapping her foot in vexation.

"Why in the seven hells would I thank you? I was doing fine on my own."

"Yeah, you were, but I thought that I might give you a bit of a hand. Free up some of your time." Because Spike found this girl interesting and very attractive for something other than a meal now.

"My time," the girl asked with a raised eyebrow, Spike noticed her eyes were a deep, dark brown, they seemed almost fathomless, as she whirled the stake in her hand in an almost threatening manner.

"Yeah, time you might want to pass with a handsome bloke like myself."

The girl's look was a cross between amusement and disgust before she snorted in the most unladylike way possible, "Sorry, but the whole Billy Idol look. So not my thing."

Spike growled, "Oi! The bleeding tosser stole the look from me! I think it suits me just fine-your loss if you can't see it," he turned to spin away dramatically he heard her say,

"I bet you tell everyone that. Too bad nobody's interested in the story, huh?"

Spike turned back to face the girl but found an empty street.

"I don't think I like her." Spike muttered as he stalked off. He never saw the glowing eyes that watched him from the shadows.

***

 _Ew! Ew! Ew, I can't believe that Spike hit on me!_ Xander thought in disgusted amusement, _Which brings up another question, he's early. I should had have a couple more weeks before he showed up._ She walked past the tree where the Master was buried. She abruptly stopped in her tracks when she saw two vampires digging up the grave, pulling out the Master's bones.

Well needless to say the ensuing fight was short and the vampires got staked.

Xander looked down at the bones, "I'm betting you're what's causing Buffy attiude," she leaned down and gathered up the bones. She had an idea and she had just enough time to make it to the school before she had to be at the Bronze.

***

Xander made it to the Bronze in time to catch the tale end of the conversation Buffy had with Angel," ... I moved on. To the living." As the lyrics to a song that Xander hated with a passion because of the humiliation that came with the memory of it, began to play. Xander got to the table that Willow and Amy were sitting at as Jonathan put the girl's drinks on the table. Xander could see the cruel glimmer that came to Buffy's hazel eyes as she looked at Jonathan.

 _No,_ Xander thought, _Not going to happen._ And said to Jonathan before Buffy could speak, "Get me a drink, would you, Jono," she said it harshly. Jonathan didn't move. Xander glared at him, " _Now!_ " she growled at him. Jonathan nodded and went to do that, Xander turned to Buffy and smirked at her, "Dance with me?"

Buffy smirked, nodding and grabbed Xander's hand leading her to the dance floor. The dance began slowly, sensually, as their movements against each other became nothing more than an erotic contest of one-up manship. Buffy turned and spooned against Xander pulling her arms around her waist. Xander knew why she was doing this, she could see Angel lurking in the shadows just beyond the dance floor.

Buffy turned her head close enough for a kiss, her eyes closed as she whispered, "Xander? Did I ever thank you...for saving my life?"

"No, Buffy," Xander said a dark look in her eyes that Buffy couldn't see.

"Don't you _wish-"_ Buffy started to say but was cut off by the low growl Xander made in her ear, causing Buffy to shiver.

"There are times Buff, when you make me wonder if I should let have you drown."

The words caused Buffy's eyes to snap open she stared at Xander's angry expression before smirking at Xander. She broke away from the other girl and maked her way back to the table to get jacket. Buffy passed Cordelia on her way out the door. Cordelia looked after her for a moment, then rubbed her temple shaking her head before rejoining her friends at their table.

***

The next day after school found Buffy followed by Willow, Amy, and Jonathan heading toward the library. Buffy was holding a note in her hand as Cordelia met them at the library door holding a similar as Buffy.

"What's with this? I found it in my locker?" Cordelia asked waving the note around.

Buffy shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine, we all got one."

They all entered the room. Buffy was surprised to see Angel standing next to Giles as they stared at what was on one of the tables.

The Masters Bones.

"Who did this?" Buffy asked in shocked anger.

"I did." Xander said stepping out of the shadows of the bookcases. She was holding a sledgehammer.

"Why?"

Xander walked up to Buffy, "The campaigning for Bitch of the year? Stops, now! Because for one? You are never going to beat out Cordelia for it." Xander ignored the affronted 'hey' from Cordelia, "And two? I'm going to give you some advice... Get over it!"

"Excuse me!" Buffy hissed.

"Get. Over. It."Xander said slowly.

"How dare you! You have no idea what I've been through!"

 _Oh, I have some idea._ Xander thought but said, "This attitude you have right now? Is going to get someone hurt or worse. And if that happens?" Xander's voice bordering on a growl, "I'll kill you myself," the tone she used was cold enough to make everyone n the room shiver.

Xander shoved the sledgehammer into Buffy's hands, "If I were you?" Xander paused and gave the Master's bones a meaningfully look, "I'd deal with my issues." Xander then turned and walked out of the library but paused just outside of the doors when she heard the sound of a hammer coming down onto the bones and table.

Repeatedly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Irony, The Name Is Spike 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IRONY: When one takes an action and then gets the opposite of what one intends or expects.

_Well, it's official. My life truly sucks!_ Xander thought as she watched the chaos around her. There were fire trucks and the Sunnydale P.D. and the only ambulance the town had. The fire had been caused by the idiot that brought his brother back from the dead and then _cause they just couldn't leave it at that, could they?_

The two stupid teenage boys decided to make a girlfriend for the zombie-brother. To make matters worse, the morons choose in their infinite wisdom to make Cordelia Chase, of all people, the crowning glory of said franken-girlfriend! Xander had been helping Buffy with the would-be murders. While Willow, Amy and Jonathan had worked to rescue Cordelia. Willow had single handedly saved Cordelia by pushing the gurney she had been stapped to out of the burning building.

Xander wandered over to where Willow was standing, "Nice heroics, Wills."

The redhead just sighed, "Everyone is pairing off! I mean Giles finally asked Ms. Calendar out. Vampire Slayers can date Vampires... and Amy and Jonathan are so sweet together, don't you think?"

"And your point is?"

"Do you ever think life is a giant game of duck, duck, goose? And we just happen to be the geese? I mean the computer teacher is seeing more action than me!"

"All the time, Wills."

Xander watched as Cordelia came up to them looking nervous but also slightly annoyed, "Willow? I just wanted to tell you-" but she was cut off when the red head said,

"Heroic? I know." Willow said dismissively, "Do you mind? We're talking here." Willow said pointing between her and Xander. Cordelia glared at Xander for a moment before rolling her eyes and leaving. The cheerleader never noticed the how Willow's eyes followed after her. Willow turned to Xander, "So where were we?"

"Wondering why we don't get dates," Xander said smirking slightly at her friend.

"Yeah, so why is that, you think?"

"Somehow... I don't think you'll have to worry about that for long."

"What?" Willow asked confused.

Xander sighed and threw an arm over willow's shoulder as they walked away from the school. "A word to the wise, Wills. If you ever get trapped in a janitor's closet with Cordelia and she won't shut up? Just kiss her."

Willow blinked, "Huh?"

Xander just grinned at her.

***

The next afternoon Xander sat in Snyder's office, next to Buffy along with a slightly sexy, slovenly and dangerous looking shorthaired brunette as she popping her gum as she smirked at them. Xander and Buffy exchanged a look but before they could say anything Principal Snyder walked in. He straighten his suit as he said, "A lot of educators tell their students ' Think of your Principal as your pal'." he paused and came to sit behind his desk, "I say, think of me as your judge, jury and executioner!"

 _Judge, huh? I demand a retrial! The judge is obviously biased._ Xander thought.

"Tell me, just who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?"

Xander glanced over at Buffy and saw how apprehensive she seemed then over to Shelia, who seemed blasé about this. Snyder pulled three thick files from a drawer of his desk and set them in front of him.

"Well, it's been quite a race between you three. On one hand, Buffy hasn't stabbed a horticulture teacher with a trowel."

An offend expression crossed Shelia's face, "I didn't stab anyone with a trowel..." she paused, smirking, "they were pruning shears."

Snyder gave her a hard look, then said, "On the other hand, Shelia has never burnt down a school building."

"W-well that was never proven," Buffy muttered, "The Fire Marshall said it could have been mice."

 _Though that was said somewhat desperately,_ Xander thought.

"Mice." Snyder said in flat disbelief.

"Mice...that were smoking?" Buffy whispered.

Xander couldn't help the snicker that escaped but realized that it had been a mistake. Snyder looked pointedly at her, "Then again neither Buffy nor Shelia, has tried to put the football team in traction."

Shelia gave Xander an impressed look.

Xander rolled her eyes and defended herself with, "They're not in traction. Only four of them ended up in ICU."

Snyder ignored Xander's protest as he flipped through the files, "You three are running neck and neck in the class cutting and fight starting events. It's actually quite exciting."

"What does the winner get?" Shelia asked sarcastically.

"Expelled." Snyder said flatly.

"Thursday, is Parent Teacher Night. Your parents, assuming you have any, will be meeting your teachers. I have decided to put you three in charge of this event. You'll have three days to prepare refreshments, make banners and transform the school lounge into a place for adults. This in turn will incur my good will and affect what I tell your parents when I meet them. Are we clear?"

 _Lair,_ Xander thought.

"I'm clear." Buffy said brightly, she looked at Xander and Shelia, "Don't you feel clear?"

"Waterford," Xander mumbled knowing they had to show an untied front against the Troll.

Shelia only rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Buffy looked back to Snyder, "We're very clear."

"Good. Because if you mess this up? Your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers." Snyder told them coldly.


	4. Irony, Thy Name Is Spike 2

"What is her problem?" Buffy asked as they watched Shelia kissed a long haired blond guy, they were standing next to a motorcycle. "That's what my mom sees when she looks at me...a Shelia." They walked down the stairs meeting Amy, Jonathan. Willow wasn't there because she had an extra credit class she was taking.

"So, Snyder has you guys doing party favors, huh?" Amy asked, curling a lock of hair around her finger.

"His three worst students." Buffy said sighing.

"We're not the worst," Xander told them, "the Troll is simply out to get us."

"Well, its working, Xander," Buffy muttered, _"he's_ getting to me."

"Shelia's definitely intense," Jonathan said, amazed that the blonde guy could hold his breath for that long, Shelia still hadn't taken her tongue out of the guys mouth, "that guy with her? Shelia's the girl he _can_ take home to his mother."

"Yeah, she's been smoking since the fifth grade," Amy told them, "Willow and me used to be lookouts for her."

"Now that's rebellion." Xander muttered distractedly.

"It's not fair! I'm the Slayer. That requires a certain amount of class cutting and fighting. What's Shelia's excuse?" Buffy wondered.

"Homework." Jonathan said flatly.

"She refused to do it." Amy said, "Most of the teachers respect that...even more so after she stabbed Mr. Avery."

Xander looked at Buffy, "Let's keep the sharp implements away from her."

Buffy nodded in agreement to that, "Do you think any of the other Slayers had to go to high school?"

Jonathan smiled, "Don't worry it will be a nice soiree. The parental unit types will love it and as long as nothing really bad happens between now and then, you'll be fine."

Xander hit Jonathan on the back of the head as the other two girls glared at him.

"Why did you say that?! Now something bad will happen for sure." Buffy moaned.

"Oh come on!" Jonathan said, although he looked unsure, "Nothing is going to happen."

"Not until some idiot says 'not as long as nothing bad happens'..." Xander said shaking her head.

"It's the ultimate jinx!" Amy exclaimed.

All the girls glared at the boy as they walked away. Jonathan brought his book bag to his chest holding to it like a shield as he muttered, "Maybe it will be different this time."

"You better hope so!" Xander yelled back. Because really? Xander didn't need the trouble that was going to come if it wasn't different this time.

***

After trying and failing to convince her mother not to come to Parent Teacher night, Xander  walked into the Bronze hoping like everything that she wouldn't had to deal with a Buffy attitude. She ended up talking to Jonathan and learned that Amy was at home studying for the big French test. Xander shrugged, she could speak it why did she have to know how to know how to write a sentence in French? She could barely do that in English! She was able to coach Buffy and Willow on to the dance floor, she counted that as a win. 

***

So perhaps Xander telling Spike that she was going to kill him on Saturday was not her best plan. Still the look on his face when she had stolen his lines had been a thing of beauty! He had looked so cute standing there with his mouth hanging open... No! No, no. Not cute! Scary, yes! Spike had looked very scary and in no way had Xander found the vampire cute!

Xander closed the book that had nothing to do about Spike. Buffy had wanted to find out everything about the blonde vampire. Xander knew Spike had rattled the Slayer and the vamp hadn't even done anything yet but made a vague threat? How was Buffy going to deal with someone like the Judge or god forbid Angelus? If Spike worried her like this?

Giles asked for comfirmation on Spike's name.

Xander snapped her book closed, "Well Somehow I don't think he got the name from the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons."

"Quite," Giles said drily.

"So whoever he is," Miss Calendar said, "we'll need all the help we can get?"

"The Night of Saint Vigeous..." Jonathan said slowly, "So I'm thinking now would be a good time for that vacation?"

"We can run," Willow said, "Where would we hide? Although if we are taking a vote? I like Israel."

"That's because you are Jewish, Willow." Amy reminded her gently.

Willow muttered about being non-practicing and sank down into her seat.

"Well, Spike can't be any worse than any other creature you have faced." Giles told Buffy.

 _No, he's..._ Xander thought.

"Worse...a lot worse..." Angel's voice floated through the room suddenly, "Once he starts something he doesn't stop until everything in his path is dead."

Xander got a wicked idea and yes, it was totally at Angel's expense, grinning she paraphrased what she said the first time around, "So he's a bit like a junkyard dog, huh? Through, goal-oriented and totally psychotic with a side of vicious to boot? Spike's Sire must be so proud!"

Angel threw a glare at her but didn't reply, no he was to busy trying to explain why he hadn't shown up at the Bronze to Buffy.

"I think we have more urgent matters to discuss," Giles said cutting Buffy off before she could get irate with Angel.

Xander not wanting to be in the same room with the epic lovefest that was BuffyandAngel, stood suddenly, "I'm going on patrol." She told them before leaving the library.

 _I'm thinking it would just be easier to lure Spike out with a bottle of Jack Daniels and be done with the whole mess,_ Xander thought as she walked down the hallway. _Lord knew it was better way than what had happened 'Before'._

 


	5. Irony, thy name is Spike 3

"Damn it! Where can Harris be? there are only so many places in this two bit town a person can hide without running into something nasty," Spike muttered to himself, "and that mouthy dark haired bint...she...uggh!" Spike looked over at the girl that hung from a hook who was obviously terrified, she was gagged and had short dark hair, "You can blame her for your predicament..."

Drusilla lifted up one of her dolls, it had a piece of cloth over its mouth like a gag and Drusilla turned it around with its back to them as she said, "Miss Edith almost spoke out of turn," for a second Spike could swear the doll had a green aura around it but he blinked and it was gone, "No cakes for you..."

Spike rolled his eyes as he walked over to her, putting his arm around her thin frame.

Drusilla leaned back into the pretender, glancing over her shoulder at him.  _My_ _Spike wouldn't_ have _been so blind,_ she thought but said, "Eyes wide shut," just loud enough for him to hear, "To see...open them.." she hummed, over the irraitating chanting that was going on jut outside their door.

"What are you on about?" Spike asked, he noticed his dark goddess's pout. "Oh, never mind, more important are you going to eat something?"

"Not hungry," Drusilla murmured, "I miss Prague."

Spike sighed in vexation as he turned her around to face him, "You nearly died in Prague," he told her slowly, "idiot mob." He lead her over to the bed, "This is the place for you...at least until we get you well." Because Spike had no intentions of staying in SunnyHell longer than he had too. "We'll get some color in your cheeks...metaphorically speaking then in a few weeks..." his voice trailed off suggestively as Drusilla laid back on the bed, Spike straddled her prone form.

"The stars they align," Drusilla said softly, "but my sweet, the kitten hunts you as we _speak...such claws_ he has grown."

Spike reared back from his sire. He knew of only one person she had ever rambled on as a kitten and that was _Harris._ But why was she talking about him now? It wasn't like he could find the bloody tosser! "My lovely, what kitten are you talking about?" Because sometimes with Dru a kitten was just a kitten at others... "Where is he?"

"Eyes wide shut!" Drusilla snapped at him harshly in annoyance as she frowned at him, "The world went topsy-turvy for the poor kitten."

Spike snapped his mouth shut in surprise. It wasn't often that Dru would really snap at him. She understood that he didn't see the world in quite the same way she did. But this time was she seemed a little miffed that she couldn't get her point across to him. It was frustrating to the both of them.

"You should go up and cleanse with the others," Drusilla whispered.

Spike fell past her on to his back on the bed, "The boy doesn't trust us."

Drusilla sat up, "Ashes to Ashes..."her voice vague.

"Yeah, sweets, I'm going to burn this town for you." Spike said, thinking, _Then I'm going to salt the earth._ "Fine, I'll go make nice but you," Spike said pointing to the dark vampires, "have to do something for me." He rolled off the bed and on to his feet. He went over to their hostage, grabbing her roughly dragging her over to Drusilla. "Eat!"

Drusilla petted the hair of the frighten girl, as she looked over to the doll, "You see, Miss Edith? If you had been good....you could have...watched."

***

In the upper realm,

Dawn grimaced at the scene of Drusilla biting Shelia, on the T.V.

"Seems I have to watch anyway," Dawn muttered, frowning as a small smirk came to Drusilla's blood covered mouth.

 _No,_ Dawn thought, _she couldn't have heard me? Could she?_

***

  **THUNK!!**

Xander looked up from the stake she was whittling as Buffy brought down the machete again, as Willow sat next to Amy, Jonathan and Cordelia helping them study while Jenny Calendar walked by with a thick tome of a book in her hand. "Don't you think that's a bit of over kill?"

**THUNK!!!**

Buffy shrugged, "Works doesn't it?"

"You're preparing a veggie tray."

Buffy looked at Xander, "Your point?"

Xander rubbed her nose, "Don't really have one."

Giles came out of his office and told them about the Night of Saint Vigeous.

"Oh, that's interesting and all but three days from now and right now Xan and I have to deal with Parents Night which is, you know tonight." Buffy said, looking at Xander asked, "They like start arriving in an hour, right?"

Xander nodded.

"So, check list time," Buffy muttered, "Banners?"

"In places all over the school the big on in the Student Lounge." Xander told her.

"Punch?" Buffy asked.

"Hum..."

"You forgot the _punch?"_   Buffy snarled at Xander.

"Maybe? You wanted fruit punch, right?"

"No, I wanted lemonade! We agreed on lemonade!" Buffy yelled.

"I got fruit punch flavored Kool-Aid." Xander told her.

Cordelia rolled her eyes at Buffy's drama before pushing her books aside, looking at Willow, "Can we be done?"

"Do you want to help Xander make stakes?"

"How many as she made?"

"Three," Xander sighed, tossing the stake-arrow down on the table.

"Well it's not like you or Buffy will need a lot of those things," Cordelia said, "If that Spike guy is as bad as you think. It should be over quick." Cordelia frowned, bringing a hand up to her temple, rubbing it, "Or not," she muttered, then looked up sharply, "But I'm totally rooting for you and the Slayer but I have a leg wax I can't miss next week so...try and win, okay?"

Xander shook her head at the cheerleader and Buffy glared.

***

Spike looked down at the cringing minion in disgust. He sighed, the others weren't much better but they were all he had. "it's not that I as a lot from you, is it? Information on the Slayer, Maps of the Underground of the Hellouth... the whereabouts of..."he grabbed the nearest minion and threw him into a wall, as he screamed, " **ONE TEENAGE BOY!** "

"But there is no boy named Xander Harris," a minion on the floor whimpered in abject fear-he had seen what Master Spike had done to the others that had displeased him or his princess. "We-we can tell you something you want to hear..." he trailed off at Spike's glare.

Spike threw his hands up and gave an incoherent shout of frustration, "Idiots! Useless pillocks, I swear," he kicked the nearest minion away from him, "the lot of you couldn't find the **GRAND FUCKING CANYON** unless you tripped and **FELL INTO IT!** " Then in a lightening fast movement he threw a stake at he'd had in the pocket of his duster, dusting the minion that had been trying to sneak inconspicusiously out the back door, "And cowards too."

Spike's cold glare made the rest of the minions cower, "Now," he told them as he pulled a cigarette from the pack he pulled out of his coat pocket, "I have a plan..."

 

 

 


	6. Parent Night pt. 1

"There you are, Xander!" Rupert Giles said coming up behind the dark haired girl but when she turned around Giles saw his mistake. The woman was as tall as Xander but much older maybe a few years younger than himself. Her hair was the same shade of dark brown-almost black that Xander's was but for the two streaks of silver-gray her temples. The woman's brown eyes shone with amusement at him as he stuttered out , "Oh, p-please for-give m-m-me." When she grinned at him Giles thought there was something familiar about it but he jut didn't know why.

"Not a problem. It's not everyday I'm mistaken for my daughter. Jessica Harris," she introduced herself holding out a hand.

Giles blinked in surprise, taking it as he asked, "Your Xander's mother?" _Well, that explained the familiar grin._ Giles thought.

"But I don't know who you are... Should I be worried about an attractive man looking for my daughter?"

"N-n-no," Giles said with a slight blush on his face, "I"m Rupert Giles, the school librarian."

"Well, I..." Jessica started but was interrupted as Snyder came up to them, eyes on Jessica as the short man said,

"Did I hear that Harris is your daughter?"

Jessica nodded, looking at the man she had gone to school with and wondered who in there right mind would put him in charge of teenagers? There had never been a more hate filled person than Norman Snyder.

"Could you do us all a favor, Jessica and keep her from injuring the football team? The season has suffered because Xander can't control her temper."

Jessica snorted, she had talked to more than one teacher over that and knew Xander was not to blame, "And here I thought it was because of their wandering hands. Perhaps you should be teaching the football team some manners and not blaming Xander for how she chose to protect herself! Then maybe she would be injuring them."

Snyder blinked, sneering, "Well, I can see you're one of those parents that take joy in their problem child." Snyder stalked off to find some other students parents to hassle.

"What a little troll! He hasn't changed." Jessica muttered.

Giles couldn't hold back his laugh, "That is something Xander would agree with you about."

Jessica sighed, "I still had to talk to Xan's other teachers before I go to work." She smiled at Giles, "It was nice meeting you, Rupert. I can call you Rupert, can't I?"

Giles was a bit taking back but he smiled back, nodding.

"Great!" Jessica said with a Xander type grin that Giles had long since learned meant trouble for whoever was receiving it. Giles realized it was aimed at him before the woman walked way and this was who Xander had learned that smile from.

Giles wondered what sort of bedeviling a 'mature' version of Xander could or would do.  Giles tried to tell himself the shudder that went down his spine was one of fear... but couldn't really convince himself of that. He was almost looking forward at what Jessica Harris would do.

***

Jessica walked into the lounge and was on her way out again when she noticed Xander talking to her friend Buffy. When an older blonde woman walked up to Buffy. From the look on the woman's face she wasn't happy and Buffy knew why. Jessica also saw Snyder standing behind the blonde woman wearing a pleased expression as he walked around the room turning off lights. Jessica walked up to her own daughter, "Xander?"

Xander looked over at her, frowning, "Mom? what are you doing here? I thought you had to work."

"Well..." was as far as she got when something that could only happen in her home town did-vampires crashed through the windows. _Uggh, Vampires..._ The majority of the parents panicked as they were presented with a small army of the yellowed-eyed, facially disfigured 'gang members'. Much of the glass had showered them and they were bleed from cuts by the glass flying by or embedding in them. Jessica had been born and raised in Sunnydale. She knew how much damage vampires could cause when their bloodlust was up.  That's when she noticed something, Xander, her daughter which Jessica had never told about the exsistence of vampires or the weirdness of their hometown, stood with Buffy and they were the only ones not panicking. In fact they were like a sea of calm in the mist of the chaos. Both of them glared rather fiercely at the Billy-Idol wanna-be who seemed to be the leader of this attack.

"What can I say," the blond boy, purred at the girls, in response to their glaring, "I just couldn't wait," he grinned showing off his fangs.

Jessica watched in maternal horror as the two girls exchanged a speaking look, plans made and cemented in the that glance, as they leapt to attack. Buffy picking up a chair, she threw it harder than a girl her size should have been able to do, hitting and knocking down the blond. Xander quickly herded the scared parents to the door furthest from the vampires, shoving a table in a n attempt to block them from reach easily. Buffy caught Jessica arm in a grip so strong it was insane, chiving the other frighten parents ahead of them to move faster, as Xander yelled over her shoulder, "I'm going to warn the others!"

"C'mon, Mom," Buffy said, gently pushing the older blonde woman, while tightening her grip on Jessica, "this way."

Buffy dragged her mother and Jessica into the science classroom down the hall just a few doors down from the school library. Snyder and other man were already in the room moving a large storage cabinet as Buffy slammed the door shut. Jessica noticed the other door in the back of the room had went over to it quacking to shut and lock it just as the power went out.

 _Well, that can't be good,_ Jessica thought, _and me without a stake._

***

Cordelia pulled Willow from the lounge, almost tripping over a vampire. It grabbed her and tried to bit her but Willow picked up a heavy bust white stone bust, of some person Cordelia never cared to learn about and hit the vampire with it-hard. Willow pulled Cordelia way from the dazed creature, to a nearby janitor's closet, locking the door behind them.

As they leaned against the door, panting for breath, Cordelia asked, "You really don't think that will keep them out, do you?"

Willow glared at Cordelia, looking at the locked door, "Just up, Cordelia," she growled.

"Rude."

***

"Nobody gets out!" Spike yelled at the minions, "Especially those girls!"

 

 

 


	7. Parent Night 2

Jessica leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, standing next to Buffy's mother. Catching the other woman's eye, she introduced herself, "Jessica Harris."

"Joyce Summers."

"Who are those guys and what do they want?" the guy, whose name Jessica didn't know, asked.

"I didn't get a good look but there was something wrong with their faces." Joyce said.

Snyder looked at Jessica and she shrugged back at him. Wondering if he would tell them the truth. But when he said, "Yes! PCP!" Jessica only sighed loudly, _They're still using that lame excuse?_ She asked herself, _You would think after all these years they would have come up with something better._

"...out of here!" Jessica heard Snyder say as he shoved a desk under the window at the other side of the room.

Buffy grabbed him by the arm, "You can't go out there!"

Snyder jerked his arm away from her sneering, "You don't tell me what to do!"

"Well, maybe someone should." Jessica muttered, "Since you seemed to trying to get everyone in the room dead."

Snyder glared at as Jessica smirked at him. _Yeah, jerkoff,_ she thought, _I remember what you did at Prom._

"Just who do you think you are?" Snyder asked.

"One of the few people that knows what is what around here." Jessica hissed at him. Buffy gave her a sharp look but shook her head. Buffy looked around the room, consideringly. She got a chair putting on a table.

Joyce came up to her and stopped Buffy asking,"Buffy, what are you doing? I know you've been accused of fighting and other things but those guys are serious! You can't go out there!" Joyce told Buffy.

"I know," Buffy said, pointing at the ceiling, "that's why I'm going up!" Buffy crawled onto the table and stood on the chair, she pushed aside a ceiling panel, she looked back at her mother, "Don't worry, I'll be fine," was all Buffy said before crawling up into the ceiling.

Jessica walked over and put a comforting hand on Joyce's arm. But turned her attention to Snyder as he and the other man began to pull apart the blinds on the windows. "What the hell are you doing, you moron?"

"This is my school and what I say goes!" Snyder muttered, "And I say this isn't happening!"

"Oh, I guess the danger's over then!" Joyce snarled, angrily.

 _Oh, I like her,_ Jessica thought. Anyone who could be sarcastic at a time like this? Was someone Jessica wanted to get to know a lot better-considering they got out of this alive. Jessica saw the man who's name she didn't know start to panic and start to crawl through the window. He let out a loud terrified scream, as something pulled him through the window. Jessica could hear growling like the kind a large beast of some kind. Jessica ran past Snyder who was frozen in fear, to the windows and forced the blinds closed, as she hissed, glaring at Snyder,"You just don't learn, Snidely, do you."

***

Willow could hear someone walking past the door. She slapped her hand over Cordelia's mouth when she gave a squeak of fear.

***

Spike walked down the hallway, "Slayer," he sing-songed, "When I find you, I'm going to suck you dry!" He walked past a door, he knew who the scents that were coming from it belong too. He just didn't have the time to deal with them right now, "Then I'm going to use your bones to bash that mouthy bints head in when I _find_ her. " _But what's in that room would make a good snack,_ Spike thought, lifting his foot and about to kick the door in.

When one of the minions said, "Listen!"

Spike cocked his head looking up, "Ever resourceful, aren't you, Slayer."


	8. Parent Night pt. 3

Spike's head jerked around at the sound of Angel's voice coming from down the hallway, _"Dammit,_ hold still, girl."

Spike hissed at his minions to be quiet. Spike had wondered when his grandsire would show up.

"Stop, moving, Xander, and you won't get hurt."

 _So, the mysterious Xander Harris appears,_ Spike thought, _this should be interesting._ Spike watched as Angel dragged a young girl with dark brown hair through the door way, Spike smirked as he heard the girl say,

"Trust me, it won't be _me_ that gets hurt."

Spike was barely able to stop his shock from showing on his face... _it was that bint! The chit that sassed him then disappeared._ The one he didn't remember being a part of the Slayer's group before... and Angel was calling this bint, _Xander?_   Spike shook his head, he'd have to think about _that_ later.

"Angelus!" Spike said spinning the metal pole in his hand. He'd been using it to poke holes in the ceiling while trying to find the Slayer, he knew she was up in the ceiling somewhere.

"Spike!" Angel returned the greeting.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Spike said exuberantly as he walked up to the older vampire, not looking at the girl Angel was holding in a head lock.

" _Tsk-tsk,_ I taught you to always guard your perimeter. You should have someone out there." Angel said.

Spike sighed, "I did," turning to glare at the minions, "but it seems I'm surrounded by idiots of late." He turned back to face Angel, "So what's new with you?"

"Everything."

"Really, have you come up against this Slayer, yet?"

"She's cute, not too bright though. Believes that old Anne Rice routine-the I'm so tortured act." Angel said his tone boarding on smarmy. All through the conversation Spike watched as the _girl...no,_ Xander's expression darkened.

"So, where did you pick up this one?" Spike asked.

"Her?" Angel asked looking down at Xander as if just realizing she was there, "Picked her up down the hall thinking we could share a bite together for old times sake."

Spike trailed his eyes over Xander slowly, "You could always pick the tastiest treats," as Angel pulled the girl more up right against his chest, a hand in her hair yanking it exposing her neck, Spike stepped closer leaning in... Suddenly he reared back hitting Angel in the face with the metal pole, causing Angel to stagger back releasing Xander. "Did you really think you could fool me? I thought of you as my sire...my Yoda!"

Xander snickered stumbling away from them.

"Things change," Angel said flatly, he looked confused as he asked, "what in the nine hell's is a _Yoda?"_

Xander out-and-out laughed at that, Spike seeing the humor grinned at Angel. The minions in the room ignored the byplay entirely as they started to advance on the older vampire.

"Why doesn't anyone take me seriously?" Angel whined.

After getting her laughter under control, Xander asked, "Err, did you really want an answer to that, Deadboy?"

Angel growled.

Spike lost his grin when he looked at the minions, "Well, what are you waiting for people? This isn't a spectator sport! _Get him!"_

Angel turned and ran down the hall, followed by the other vampires. Xander tried to slip by past Spike as he stared after Angel, he slammed the pole against the wall suddenly, blocking Xander's escape, "Not you," he hissed, _"you_ stay right here."

Xander rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Aren't you the confidant one," Spike purred at her as he slinked a bit closer, "so you're _Xander._ It's no bleeding wonder I couldn't find you-here I was searching all over this sodding town for a _bloke_ I couldn't find hide nor hair of," Spike shook his head ruefully.

Xander was taken back aback by this, "Why were you looking for me?"

Spike smiled slyly, knowing that he had been all about Buffy before, Xander's confusion was amusing, "Because I owe a bloke for tying me to that ratty orange instrument of torture of his..." It surprised Spike to see the girl's horror cross her face so clearly as she realized that Spike knew everything Xander did. He watched as she got control of her emotions and tried to hide how badly Spike had rattled her.

"What are you taking about?"

"Oi, don't try that bollocks, pet." Spike said pointing a finger at her. " I know good and well that that you remember and know just as much as I- the only real question is- how do the gaps match up." Spike said leaning closer, making Xander take a step back.

"Again I have to ask," Xander said taking another step back, "why were you looking for me?"

"Got myself a bit of insider information about who the real dangerous person on the Hellmouth is- and it's not that hopped up slip of a blonde. No, it was...rather is, someone named Xander Harris." Spike noticed the still confused look on her face, "That would be you apparently."

"Lots of people named...that," the girl started but stopped when Spike only stared at her until she began to fidget. Spike eyebrow rose at the 'tell' of nerves.

"Oh, don't start with the eyebrow thing, you...you." Xander sputtered.

Spike grinned knowing he was making Xander uncomfortable, he always could. "What is the matter? Not feeling so superior anymore? Now that there is another a member of the _been there, done that_ club."

Xander sputtered as she took another step back, hitting the wall behind her. Spike's grin became large and somewhat maniacal, "I think this is going to be the start of something rather interesting- now that all the players know that the game is afoot-so to speak, don't you?"

Xander's eyes narrowed before grinning brightly at the looming vampire fearlessly, making Spike take a step back at the suddenly shift in her mood. "Do we really need weapons for this," she asked pushing away from the wall, motioning to the metal pole in Spike's hand.

Spike took a few more steps back and twisted the pole in his hand giving it a considering look, "Not really, It just makes me feel all, "with his other hand trailing down his chest, "manly inside," before throwing the pole to the side.

They started to circle each other waiting for the moment to strike.

"You should have used your insider knowledge more wisely and stayed as far from Sunnydale as you could have, Spike." Xander said simply.

Spike just smirked, again, "As a personal favor to the friendship we never shared, I'll make it quick. It won't hurt...much."

Xander quickly punched Spike in the face almost knocking him to the floor, "What was it I said earlier? Oh, yeah! It's not _me_ that's going to get _hurt."_

Spike roared, eyes glowing yellow, he lunged grabbing Xander by the shoulders shoving her into the wall. He swung his fist at her head, Xander quickly slid down and Spike's fist connected with the wall going threw it. Spike hissed in pain glaring at the girl smirking up at him as she said, "Hurt, didn't it?"

Spike growled, as Xander stood, he wrapped his hand around a stud in the wall ripping it out as he yanked his fist from the wall, back handing Xander in the face with it. Causing Xander to fly back from the blow and land on the floor, stunned. Xander shook her head and tried to crawl away, Spike stood over her twisting the metal stud between his fingers, ready to shove it down into her chest. Xander's eyes widened slightly, just as Spike felt something slam into the back of his head, causing him to go sprawling onto the floor next to Xander in shock.

"Get away from her!" the Slayer growled holding an axe.

 _That's the same bloody axe Joyce hit me with before..._ Spike thought dazedly.

Xander rolled to her feet as the Slayer asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Xander muttered rubbing the side of her face, "I'm..." Xander stumbled into Buffy as Spike shoved passed her and ran down the hall way, through the lounge and out one of the broken windows.

Buffy sighed, dropping the axe carelessly onto the floor. Xander leaned on the wall glaring in the direction that Spike had made his hasty retreat in.

"He's going to be nothing but trouble." Xander muttered, running a hand over her face, tiredly.

***

 _It's not bloody fair,_ Spike thought as he walked towards the warehouse after his escape from the school. _How was I to guess?_ He stopped and stared up at the quarter moon as he took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling, _Seems obvious now, don't it?_ He cocked his head to the side, listening to the vampires inside the warehouse. _The bint wasn't the least bit surprised when I showed up-out of the blue like I did-she's a good enough fighter not to be complacent._

"At least now I know why I don't like her," Spike muttered dropping his cigarette on the ground and stepping on it before going into the warehouse.

***

Xander watched as Snyder and the Police Chief had a conversation. She couldn't hear what was said because of the crowd around them but it was obvious that they knew more about what was going on then they were saying to any of the parents that had survived. Turning Xander saw Buffy hug Joyce. Xander looked around for her own mother and jumped when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Hey, there..." was all Xander let her mother say before giving her an almost bone crushing hug. Buffy and Joyce walked up to them, Jessica said, "Interesting night, wasn't it."

Xander let her mother go when Joyce said,"I could use a little less excitement."

"And here I was hoping you would go get some coffee with me," Jessica asked with a grin, "I still have a couple of hours before I have to be at work."

Joyce smiled, "I would love that."

As the two older women walked off talking softly Buffy turned to Xander with a slightly wigged look on her face as she asked, confused, "Did your mother just ask mine out on a date?"

"Did your mother just accept a date with mine?" Xander asked just as confused.

Buffy looked after the older women, "It wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?"

"Shut up, Buffy."

"Cause you know..."

"Shut up, Buffy."

"I mean I would be fine with it..."

" _SHUT UP, BUFFY!!!"_

***

Willow sighed, her head in her hands.

"...And if you get me out of this..."

Willow had been trapped in his closet with Cordelia for _hours_ listening to the girl pray, until Willow was sorry she ever suggested it in the first place. She knew if the other girl didn't shut up soon...

"...Really deserve it."

Some one was going to get hurt.

"..Any case I don't think..."

"Cordelia!" Willow said trying to get the girl's attention but was ignored, "CORDELIA!"

Cordelia opened her eyes, glaring at Willow from where they were kneeling on the floor, "What? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something-" Cordelia was cut off when a soft pair of lips touched hers.

When Willow pulled back she found Xander had been right, as the other girl sat there blinking in surprised silence, kissing Cordelia had shut her up.

 

 

 

 


	9. Cryptic Notes pt. 1

Xander wasn't happy.  Actually she was the furthest thing from happy. To say that she wasn't in the best of moods would be an understatement. Everything had been getting on her nerves for the last couple of days, so much so that she had been snappish at everyone. It wasn't until Cordelia had asked Willow if it was that time of month for Xander that she realized just how cranky she had been. On top of that Xander had gotten detention from the Troll this morning for sleeping on a table in the quad, after a night of patrolling. Xander sighed, taking off the sunglasses she was wearing and hooked them to the front of her black tee-shirt as she walked into the library.

"It just doesn't seem like Angel's style,"

Xander heard Buffy tell Giles as the blonde waved a piece of paper around.

"What doesn't?" Xander asked shortly.

"Late night, Xan?" Jonathan asked almost mockingly when he heard Xander's tone of voice. He cuddle into Amy's side at the baleful glare the dark haired girl gave him.

"It seems that there is at least one other person in Sunnydale who isn't blind like all the rest of them." Buffy said. Xander had tried to explain her theories about Sunnydale Syndrome-the self induced blindness the people of the town seemed to live in-but Buffy just didn't get it. "We have a warning...a very cryptic... _Hey!"_

Xander snatched the note away from the sudden speed of her movement making Buffy squeak. Xander looked at the note that was now in her hands, it wasn't wrote on lined notebook paper but the nice kind she had seen in Giles office. The writing was clean, elegant and in old fashioned type of calligraphy that made it hard to read,

**_To The Cartoon Gang..._ **

Xander blinked at the heading. A light scent clung to the paper, it was familiar but she just couldn't place it. Xander looked up, "This is a joke, right?"

Buffy shrugged, "I wonder why they addressed it that way?"

Jonathan snorted on a laugh while Xander sighed. Buffy missing the obvious.

"I think they're referring to the cartoon Scooby Doo," Amy said between giggles. They could all see when Buffy made the connection.

"Keep reading," Jonathan told Xander, "It gets better."

_**It may be of some concern to you that a trip to the museum has been planned for the students, but such a place as been known to drain the life out of history-this time it could be personal. Beware my children, of reliving the mistakes the Incans made. Keep close while traversing the historical halls, else disaster shall occur...** _

_**Yours Auspiciously...** _

Xander dropped the note onto the table and looked at the others gathered the table, "Okay, that was...pompous."

"I think you mean cryptic, Xander." Willow said gently.

Xander gave the redhead an irritated look, "No, Wills, I meant what I said, _pompous._ I mean how incredibly stuffed shirt sounding can you get?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes, "You're just taking offense to the fact whoever it was is calling us 'children'."

Xander cocked her head to the side thinking about that for a moment, she looked down at the paper, "Yeah, okay, you could be right, about that Jono. The way whoever wrote this is laughing at us.'

"Laughing?" Buffy and Cordelia asked in stereo. They glanced at each other then shook their heads; it was just a wacky coindence, that's all. They were not alike at all.

"Well, yeah, if you actually pay attention to what they say? You can hear how they're mocking us kids being dragged to the museum, saying that place is as boring as hell."

Giles got an offended look on his face, "I'll have you know museums can be quite exciting. I use to be the curator of the British Museum.

Xander shrugged lightly, "You're old Giles, of course, you'd find other old things interesting."

The others laughed when Giles sputtered at the remark.

 

 


	10. Cryptic Notes pt. 2

Xander walked with through the museum with Buffy and Willow. Xander took the time to actually look at the displays and to her shock saw many of the old relics that had later become problems in the _'Before'._ There was even an Urn of Orsis in the Egyptian exhibit. Xander only shook her head but it explains how the demons in the Dale were able to get the things they used to try to open the Hellmouth every other week.

"...Danger to myself and others."

Xander shook herself out of her thoughts at the sound of Buffy's voice. "I thought you already were, Buff." Buffy glared at at the dark haired girl.

"I think the student exchange program is cool."

"Yeah," Xander said with a roll her eyes, "It's a wonderful way to meld two vastly different cultures...so long as the differences between the two cultures don't cause an international incident." Xander wondered why Willow stiffened when Cordelia walked by while she was looking at some pictures as two girls shoulder at them.

"This one is mine," Cordelia said holding out a picture, "Seven, isn't he lunchable! Mine is so definitely the best." Though she never looked away from Willow once she had seen her. Willow was acting obilivous to Cordelia's stare. Or so it seemed but Xander had known Willow since kindergarten and knew better. Xander could tell by the of the redhead's shoulders that Cordelia gushing about the Swedish exchange student was bothering Willow. Cordelia made some poor excuse of an insult to Buffy before catching up to her friends.

Xander frowned, "Is it just me or has Cordy's insults been less than superior lately?"

Buffy nodded, "Oh, good! I thought-"

Buffy was cut off when Willow exclaimed, "Does Cordelia never shut up?!" Willow blushed when she was the looks she got from Xander and Buffy, "Don't ever get stuck in an enclose space with her."

When they came to the South American Exhibit. The museum guide was very talkative, telling the students in great detail of the beautiful teenage girl who was chosen by  the Incans to be their princess. The guide told them how they sacrificed her to a god whom more than likely never did anything for her people. The guide gushed about how lucky the Sunnydale Museum was to get Incan mummy and all the relics brought with the mummy on loan from South America and how lucky the students were to see the exhibit before the relics and mummy was returned to it's homeland.

Xander barely heard the guide, her thoughts were filled with the memories of the pretty girl that Xander had known in the 'Before' and how unfair life had been to the princess. She leaned against the wall by the door, watching as the students as they left the room knowing that at least one wouldn't...

***

Rodney McKay rolled his eyes as the other students left the room. He hated being in this small town...he never should have agreed to the exchange student program the college he had been going to in Canada had offered. He wanted to use this time to look at some of the grad schools here in America but the family he was staying with had dragged him here. Like he had any interest in dead people's things. When would that be of any use to him?

Rodney looked down at the mummy, frowning, wondering when he got this close to the dead body. He didn't want to be near a dead body... As he reached down towards the plate the mummy was holding...

"Hey!"

Rodney blinked when he was suddenly yanked away from where the mummy lay and shoved half way across the room by an angry looking brunette with dark brown- no, glowing green eyes?

"What are you doing?"

"I..uh, well..." Rodney stuttered, confused, he really didn't know why he had been near that thing.

The girl frowned at him, "Get out."

Rodney stared at her, stupidly.

"Now!" She growled, lowly.

Rodney's eyes widened and he quickly left the room, vowing to leave SunnyDale as soon as he could.

Xander rolled her eyes watching the thin blonde ,scowling guy leave. Xander sighed walking over to the stone coffin where the mummy lay. She reached down and gently stroked the mummy's cheek. Pulling away, Xander turned and started out of the room but stopped at the door, whispering, "Sleep well, princess."

 


	11. Cryptic Notes 3

Xander walked down the school hallway with Buffy, pausing when Xander saw Willow in a corner whispering into Cordelia's ear. The dark haired girl giggled, smiling happily. _Looks like Willow tool my advice,_ Xander thought in bemusedly to herself. When Buffy let out a small hiss. Xander turned to see Principal Snyder coming towards them. She grabbed Buffy's hand and yanked her into the nearby Girl's Restroom. The one place in the school Snyder wouldn't go. Thirty minutes later they snuck out of the restroom and to the library.

Xander couldn't believe she let Buffy talk her into being a distraction while she and Willow stole one of Giles Watcher's Journals. The one about Deadboy... Why Buffy just didn't ask Giles to see it? Xander could never understand. Buffy had done that pouty face of hers and Xander had caved like a house of cards.

"Giles!" Xander called as the other girls snuck in to Giles office.

Giles appeared from behind one to the book stacks, "Oh, it's you," he muttered, closing the book in his hand.

"Nice greeting there," Xander said in reply to the flat tone of voice the man had used, "G-man, is it any wonder why you are so popular?" Walking in a circle and Giles followed until his back was to his office door, he never saw the blonde or red head leave it and the library. 

"Do you want something?"

"Did we receive any more notes? I mean our mysterious writer has been sending for weeks now."

"Yes," Giles said pulling a piece of paper from his suit jacket pocket and handed to the girl, "I found it on the counter this morning. It was folded in the shape of an origami snake this time."

The last times it had been a Crane, Frog, and Dog. Xander took the note and inhaled deeply, the scent on the paper was familiar and she new why, cigarette smoke, leather, blood and just a hint of whiskey...it was Spike's scent. He was the one sending them Xander just couldn't understand why? Or what game he was playing? Xander opened the note,

**To The Cartoon Gang,**

**Winds from the North bring corruption, chaos brings disorder-From ghoulies to ghosties and long-leggedity beasties, the things that go bump in the night. Do you know where the children are?**

**Double, double, toil and trouble 'tis the night of grave's delight and the warlock's chaos will be at play...**

**Yours Auspiciously,**

"There's a new costume shop on Fifth and Main," Xander said with a sigh. For this not could only be about one thing. Halloween was just a couple days away, "It's called Ethan's."

In a blink the mild mannered Giles was gone and Ripper stood in his place, then just as quickly it was gone. If Xander had been anyone else she could tell herself she imagined it. Giles gave her a nodded, putting the book in his hands onto the table and left the room.

 _I so wouldn't want to be a certain chaos worshipper,_ Xander thought.

***

Spike sat in one of the rooms in the warehouse he  had taken over after killing Colin, watching a video of the Slayer and Harris, he had one of the minions film. They were fighting vamps in a pumpkin patch of all things? The video was to get a better idea of what Spike would be going up against.

"Rewwind that," Spike said after watching Xander stake a vampire. Something had been off about it." The minion hurriedly followed Spike's orders. Spike watched the fight more carefully and realized all the girl's fighting moves were familiar- there was the Slayer in the high kicks and more showy moves, Angel in the brutal punching combos and Spikes own hodge-podge street brawler moves. The way she combined all the all of the techniques made Xander a brutal and efficient fighter.

"Stop!" Spike said suddenly, startling the minion into stopping the video, "Right there..."

Xander was staking a vamp, her head turned slightly way from the vamp in anticipation of the shower of dust that was to come, yet it gave Spike the perfect view of the girl's face. What made the scene interesting was the girl's bright demonically glowing green eyes...

"Well, now, that's different," Spike murmured, taking a drag from his cigarette.

Drusilla gliding into the room she paused looking at he TV, "What animal rage, the kitten possesses...the darkness that shines. It will come out when Daddy comes home."

Spike gave her a lazy look, he knew that Harris was dangerous when push came to shove. No more so than when the boy's girls were involved. But to have darkness in him? That Spike wasn't so sure of, "Come poodle," pulling Drusilla into his lap, "tell your Spike all about the lovely darkness..."

 

 

 


	12. Lies We Tell pt.1

Jessica Harris walked into the library of Sunnydale trying not to flinch at the memories she had of her own time here at Sunnydale High, after her late night shift at Sunnydale General Hospital had ended. She had a goal in mind, she wanted to ask Rupert Giles on a date, and she wasn't going to be deterred. As soon as she entered the room though, she stopped at the scene before feeling a bit amazed at what she saw... Her daughter, Xander, sat a table with the group of kids that had been running in and out of her house for the last couple of months. _What the hell?_ Jessica thought but said, "What are you kids doing here already? School doesn't start for another hour?" Then she noticed what was on the table..."Are those-" she stopped when she was Rupert come out of a small office behind the library's check out counter.

"Medieval Weaponry-all the rage since guns are banded at school," Johnathan Levison quipped softly to his girlfriend, Amy Madison. Jessica saw the glare Xander shot him.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I have to see Principal Snyder-again-something about you slamming Larry Hines into a soda machine...repeatedly?" Jessica pointedly looked at the table, "But then I could ask you the same thing?"

"Err, umm, well you see, all of us are ...that is, umm we all belong to a study group slash club for history?" Xander floundered around the question, "This month is Medieval Weaponry and there um, impact on, um, society in the past and um today? Giles use to work at a really big museum in England working with stuff like this..."

Jessica raised an eyebrow at her daughter's clumsy speech. Xander, she knew could and had lied with the best of them. Jessica had seen her do it but her daughter could never lie worth a damn to her.

"...And your not buying a word I'm saying are you?" Xander finished, badly.

Jessica got a wide eyed innocent look on her face, nodding, "Oh, every word," it was said in a tone that implied that she, in fact, didn't believe Xander. Which of course she _didn't._

Xander opened her mouth to say something; just when the bell rang for homeroom class to start. For a second all the teens froze, exchanged quick glances with each other, before bolting, Xander stooped at the door, "Sorry, Mom. Class...gotta go with the learning thing..." Xander babbled, a hand reached in through the open door and grabbed her but the front of the shirt yanking her out of the room. Leaving Jessica and Giles staring at each other over the table of Weaponry. Jessica sighed and picked up a dagger with an ornate hilt, she twisted it this way and that, before spinning it in a quick move with her wrist. Before saying softly, "You know this is just a reproduction, right?" At Giles shocked look, she quickly said, "It's a well crafted one and useable..."

Giles laughed softly, "Not many people can tell a reproduction from actually medieval weapons."

Jessica shrugged, "I was in a similar type club in high school and college myself. But that's not why I'm here."

"And why are you?" Giles asked couriously.

"There's something I want to ask you..."

***

After school that day Xander wondered at the appearance of Buffy's childhood friend Ford, meant. Xander vaguely remembered that the boy had been a thrill seeker, he had betrayed Buffy in the _Before._ Xander mother had told her that she had the night off and also had a date. Xander's mother hadn't really dated much since...well, Uncle Phil and that was the odd thing. Xander had memories of people she knew she had never met and places she was sure she had never been... Xander couldn't even ask her mother about it without either telling her mother about time travel, vampires, or being born a boy. Xander would just sound crazy! Xander sighed getting ready to met Willow and Buffy at the Bronze when the door bell rang. She rushed down stairs yelling that she would get it, thinking it might be one of the girls. She opened the door and was surprised to see...

_"Giles!_ " Standing there looking nervous, dressed in a slightly more relaxed version of what he wore at school.

"What are you doing here?" then to her horror realized that _Giles_ was her mother's date! "I thought you and Miss Calendar had a _thing!"_ Xander hissed at the older man in a low voice, eyes blazing bright while flashing green at him.

"Miss Calendar and I had very little in common and after our last date...It turns out not all women are understanding when the Apocalypse interrupts one."

"Xan?" Xander's mother called from upstairs in the house, "Is that Rupert?"

_Rupert?_ Xander wondered, _She calling him Rupert?_ The only person that had ever gotten away with calling Giles by his first name that she could ever remember had been Ethan Rayne. From the look on Giles face he didn't seem to mind Xander's mother calling him that. _This is so bad..._

"Yeah, Mom!" Xander yelled back.

"I'll be down in a moment!"

Xander hadn't taken her glowing eyes off Giles stepped back and opened the door wider in wordless invitation to enter before whispering, "She's my mom, Giles. Buffy's Watcher or not-I will beat you with a shovel. Bury you, resurrect you, and do it a again and a again until I get bored if you _hurt her!_ Only then will I rip out your heart! Do you understand me?"

Giles nodded, slowly. Now he understood why the girl was becoming so feared by the demon population. He was relived when Jessica came downstairs, Xander's eyes lost their glow returning to their normal brown as she turned to face her mother.

***

_Lies, dripping off your mouth like dirt.. Lies, whispered in my ear... how cruel?_

Xander watched the singer on stage croon to the crowd from her spot on the catwalk overlooking the Bronze. From up here she had the perfect view of the whole club. Xander could see Willow and Cordelia cuddled up in a corner table talking, though Cordelia would glance over to where her normal followers were looking torn. While Willow would watch Buffy in concern as the blonde flirted heavy handedly with a blonde boy, Ford, her childhood friend. While they were at the pool table playing against Amy and Jonathan. Angel was glaring at them from the shadows behind the group, shooting jealous looks at Ford. Xander stilled suddenly, the hairs raising on the back of her neck, she was not longer on the catwalk alone. The subtle scent of whiskey and cigarette was in the air...the Bronze had a no smoking policy...so, "Never would have taken you for a Deadboy-wanna-be," before looking over her should in time to see Spike wince at her comment as the blonde melted out of the shadows.

_Harris could sure be mean when she was of mind,_ Spike thought. It was a trait the male-version had possessed as well. "Wasn't lurking," he denied, "like some over-gelled poof, we both know. I was waiting for you to notice me."

"Like I could miss that hair of yours."

"Oi, will you leave off the hair-already! It's hard to find a good look when you can't see yourself, y'know!" Spike protested the slander to his sense of style.

Xander shook her head, not bothering to belabor the point, it wasn't like it really mattered anyway. It was just fun...poking at the tiger... "Why are you here? It's not like this place can be all that interesting for someone of your discriminating tastes?" Xander asked sarcastically.

"It's not bad here. Look around," Spike made a sweeping motion with his hand at the dance floor below them, "there is all the prey to be had there. Young gullible types...rather like being in a large buffet for us, isn't it." Spike implied slyly. It had taken so doing but he had gotten Dru to reveal to him what Primals liked to feed on.

Xander growled warningly, "I don't-I'm not _talking_ to _you_ about that." then to change the subject, "Why had you been sending those notes, Spike? I know you are, I just can't figure out why?"

"just wanted to help, pet." Spike's softly mumbled reply was almost lost in the roar of the club.

"It never helped all that much when you did help," Xander said coldly, when he said nothing, she continued, "In fact it makes me wonder what the hell your playing at. Your up to something, you always were. You never do anything without a reason and it makes me wonder what hare-brained scheme you're cooking up."

"Hare-brained scheme!" Spike snarled, "I'll have you know, not one of my sche-plans were hare-brained! Well thought out they were."

Xander relaxed, this was the Spike, Xander was use to dealing with, the snarky and defensive one, "So why were a bunch of kids able to make them blow up in your face more times than not?"

Spike growled lowly, the bint had a point that Spike didn't want to admit too. He sighed, "I didn't come here to fight with you, Harris."

"But we do it so well," Xander said rolling her eyes, relenting when it looked like Spike was about to explode, asking almost nicely, "What do you want then?"

Spike looked over the of the catwalk for a moment. He wasn't really sure. Part of him wanted to rip the girl's throat out in revenge for very single insult that he ever remembered Harris udder about him. But their was another part that admired Harris for doing just that...and well, it wasn't like the girl was hard on the eyes or anything, so...He looked back at Xander, "How about a turn on the dance floor?"

"What?" Xander gaped at the vampire, words deserting her for a few precious breaths, "Turn on the dance floor," she repeated mostly to herself, she blinked looking confused as she asked, "You want to _dance with me?"_

Not feeling compliment at all by the girl's reaction Spike only nodded, shortly.

Xander knew she should say no, but for some reason the idea appealed to her. Even if she couldn't figure out why it did. Or what she wanted to do about it. Finally she said, "Yeah, okay...but no wandering hands!"

Spike surprised that the boy-turn-girl had agreed, nodded to her condition. In a gesture reminiscence of the Victorian gentleman Spike use to be, he held out a hand in order to escort her to the dance floor properly, like he would have any woman of that time or Drusilla.

Xander looked at the offered hand warily before slowly reaching out to take it as the singer below once more crooned out,

_Why, why do you think me such a fool? Lies, lies, that's honey's rule...oh my the lies..._

Angel's hand spasmed around the glass, he was holding as a prop to blend in with the rest of the teenagers he was sitting with. He had finally got the courage to join Buffy at the table they were sitting at after their game of pool. He couldn't have seen what he thought he saw-could he? Because he thought he had seen Xander, Xander Harris-terror of the demon population, she who was actually more feared than the _Slayer_ -dancing with _Spike-_ of all people? The glass shattered in his hand, showering Buffy, who was sitting next to him with the cold contents of the drink.

"What is your problem, Angel!" Buffy snapped out irately as she tried to sponge the drink off of her outfit with a napkin. Angel blinked as he faced Buffy, he opened his mouth to say something but only turned back to stare out at the dance floor. Buffy sighed in exasperation, she craned her neck to see what had so disturbed Angel. All she saw was Xander dancing with what looked like a really hot blonde guy from what she could see, a lot of other dancers were blocking her view, though.

_Finally,_ Buffy thought, _It's about time Xander embraced her girlness!_ Buffy was just glad Xander had relaxed enough with her new gender to do so. Buffy had been worried about her friend. She had known a couple of transgendered people at her old school and while Xander's situation might not be the same it was as close as Buffy could make sense of it. Then Buffy did a double take when the crowd clear enough so she could see the blonde... That couldn't have been...could it?

Buffy exchanged a look with Angel. Angel nodded getting up, motioning to where they had last seen Xander, "I'll just..."

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, wouldn't want Xan to get into any trouble."

Angel agreed and left the table to search the dance floor for Xander or Spike but couldn't find either of them.

 


	13. Lie We Tell pt. 2

The next afternoon Xander was sitting in the library watching Willow work on the computer. She had found out from the redhead that Angel had went to Willow and asked her to find out stuff about Ford. Will babbled something about Angel not wanting to let Buffy know about it. Angel appeared behind the stacks. He had entered via the basement route from the sewers because it was till day light. He motioned at Xander  to come to him. Xander sighed as Willow gave her a questioning look. Xander shrugged as she got up, walking over to the dark vampire. Willow turned her attention back tot he computer.

When Xander was in range Angel grabbed her by the arm and pulled her deeper between the book stacks.

"Hey! What's the big idea? Manhandling is not attractive, you arrogant..." Xander protested.

Angel wasn't in the mood for it. Glancing over to make sure Xander hadn't gained Willow's attention, "Shut up! What do you think you are playing at!?"

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked confused. "Why do you think you can drag me around like a caveman?"

"I'm talking about the other night with that stunt with _Spike!"_

Xander scoffed at Angel's rather overbearing concern.

"No, Xander, I'm serious. Underestimating the danger that Spike is will likely get you and all those around you killed!"

"Don't worry, Deadboy. The last thing I would do ids underestimate a dangerous vampire."

Angel blinked and wondered at the undertone in the girl's voice. That was when Willow piped up that she had something on Ford. Xander just looked relieved starting to go back over to Willow.

"We're not done with this," Angel told her.

"Whatever," Xander muttered. Wondering if the vampire club was going to as freaky as she remembered it being.

***

It was.

**

Spike was in the middle of trying to sooth Drusilla from one of her spell. She kept asking about the pretty, shiny, key and asking when it was coming home to unlock the world. Spike had snapped at her not to talk about that, hurting the vampiress's feelings.

"This is cool." A blonde teenage human, said walking into the warehouse. Spike wondered how he got past the minions watching the entrances of the warehouse. "I could live here."

"Aren't _any_ of you people on watch?" Spike snapped at the other vampires lunging around the room. He slowly made his way over to the human, yes, Spike remembered this one...Chevy or Nissan was his name. Spike smirked, "Or did we final find a restaurant that delivers?"

"I know what you are," the human said.

Spike rolled his eyes. Anyone with half a clue knew what as well as who he was... Spike grabbed the boy by his throat. Dru made a distressed noise at the action.

"I want to offer you a deal." the kid choked out in Spike grip.

"And what would that be?"

"I want to be a vampire."

Spike shook his head. _So unoriginal,_ he thought. "Know you all of two minutes, kid, and can't stand you. Don't really fancy you living forever. " Spike let his face morph into his demon face, "Think I'll eat you instead."

"Stop! Trade! I'll trade you the Slayer if you make me a vampire!" the boy shouted as well as he could with Spike's hand tightening around his throat.

Spike grinned. Now the kid had his attention.

***

Buffy was thinking about what Angel had told her about Ford at last. Buffy paused when she heard her name called. Looking around she saw Willow and Cordelia sitting on the stairs leading to the second story of the school. She frowned at how nervous the red head looked. Cordelia was filing her nails with a bored expression.

"Did, uh, Angel..."

 _Oh, yeah, the vampire club and Ford,_ Buffy thought but said too Willow, "He told me everything."

"I'm sorry we kept this from you." Willow said looking upset.

"It's okay," Buffy told her with a weak smile.

"When Angel came to my room he was just concerned. We didn't want to say anything to you until we were sure."

"I-I have to find Xander." Buffy said not wanting to talk to anyone or about Ford, walking away.

Willow and Cordelia watched her go, then something clicked in Cordelia's head, "Angel was in your _bedroom?"_

Willow only blushed never noticing the jealousy that shone in the cheerleaders brown eyes.

***

"I know you said you needed a date, Xander. But man, Amy is going to singe my underwear for missing a change to go to this club." Johnathan moaned as Xander dragged the boy behind her.

"Whipped," Xander muttered, "...not without cause mind you but it's so sad to be that whipped so early in a relationship. Anyway I thought you wanted to see the mass of morons who think vamps are ' _the lonely ones'_."

"Well, yeah, but Amy can be scary...even when it's not that time of month."

"Johnathan's is just upset that Amy mastered turning her animal form before him." Willow said snickering, "Giles and Ms. Calendar say they are learning quickly...Oh! And that I had magical talent too!"

Xander couldn't stop the shudder that went down her back when she heard that. She remembered what a power house Willow was in the _'Before'_ Maybe if she learned the rules and right ways to use magic this time around it might not be that bad of a thing.

Xander was going to have to keep a closer eye on Willow.

"You never did say why you wanted to go back." Angel said from his place in the shadows. The sun hadn't quite set yet and Angel was having to dodge the sun. It was interesting to watch and showed how much practice he had at it. Since Angel hardly got even singed.

Xander shrugged, "Our mysterious note writer sent us a warning...about Buffy's old vamp-want-to-be friend. I just thought it might be wise to check the club again."

Angel eyed her for moment before saying, "I still think you need to watch yourself around a certain someone."

"We already had that conversation." Xander snapped, "I'm not having it again, so drop it."

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked noticing the tension between Xander and Angel seemed worse than normal tonight.

Angel said quickly, "Oh, you haven't heard? Xander here decided to dance with Buffy's latest enemy a the Bronze a few nights ago."

Xander seethed, _damn it, all she had done was dance with the guy._ Formally even. It wasn't like she caused havoc or mass murder with Spike. It had just been one stupid dance.

"Who?" Willow asked falling for Angel's gambit.

"Spike, also known as William the Bloody. I'm sure you remember him. He kind of wants Buffy _dead,"_   Angel said stressing the last word.

Xander had said and done strange things ever since her mystical sex change but the were never without reason. So Xander  must have had one, Willow reasoned to herself, when she ventured in a low voice, "It was just a dance, right?"

"Sounds like your just jealous to me." Johnathan said, paling at the dark look Angel shot him.

"We talked about that, didn't we?" Willow asked reminding Angel of the conversation they had, had the night before when Angel had asked Willow to look up information on Ford.

"That was  a whole different thing, "Angel defended himself, "I'm not jealous of Xander!"

"You could just be jealous of Spike," Willow said with a wicked grin, her words causing Angel to trip over his own feet.

Xandder snickered, "Looks like we will never know."

"Why not?" Johnathan asked confused, interested in the drama going on before him.

Xander tried not to roll her eyed, failing, "Because we're here," she reached out and knocked on the door to the vampire club.

 

 


	14. Crptic Lies pt. 3

Spike looked at the door of the vamp club. He stifled a sigh that wanted to be let  out. These kids really didn't know any better. They'd been brainwashed by popular fiction. Spike grinned to himself as an idea came to him. Sweeping into the club he stood at the top of the stairs leading down into it. A natural stage if he ever saw one and every eye below fastened on him...

Xander was milling around the crowd, making sure to kept Jonathan and Willow close, which kept her back covered. She knew Jonathan would warn her if anything tried to attack them. Plus if anything happened to him? Amy would turn Xander in to  rat. Xander still couldn't believe how deluded these kids were,  _the lonely ones?_ Sheesh!

All of a sudden her attention was drawn upwards, like everyone else's in the club. When the door slammed open and Spike swept through it grandly, his duster flaring behind him like a cloak. Spike paused looking like he was posing and Xander had to admit to herself that Spike was beautiful...and he knew it. When he spoke it was a seductive purr to the crowd of, " 'Ello."

Angel took a quick look around the club only to see the crowd eating up Spike's drama. In the past he had watched Spike work over their meals to be with all the charisma of an Shakespearian actor, tonight was no different.

"So, you lot want to be vampires?" spike asked with a grin and the crowd chorused an assent to the remark.

Angel only rolled his eyes. He could see Xander doing the same. She was with Jonathan and Willow.

"Immortality, it sounds pretty good, doesn't it? You want to die young and leave a good looking corpse, just to get back up and walk again..." the crowd gave another assenting answer as Willow wrinkled her nose and Jonathan looked disgusted. Xander let out a sardonic laugh that caught Spike's attention. Spike grinned more brightly, "Give you a little hint, kiddies, it's really not as nice as you've painted it to be..."Spike morphed into his demon face, his yellow-red eyes roamed the crowd, "...is it," he asked through a mouthful of fangs. There was a massive reaction through out the crowd. Screams of terror, squeals of fright and fainting.

At the crowds reaction, Xander clapped her hands together in mock silent applause. After all every great actor deserves his kudos. Spike saw her, he quirked an eyebrow nodding regally back to her, it was only polite to knowledge praise. Angel saw the little exchange. He recognized the way Spike looked at Xander. It was the way he looked at Drusilla for decades, the way Spike once looked at him...Their was sexual attraction between the two-and it didn't look as if Xander minded? Hell, if anything Xander looked as if she returned the feelings to some degree. Angel could feel the jealousy in his heart flare up and one of the club kids standing next to Angel glanced his way and reared back at the sight of Angel in his demon face. angel reigned in his feelings with some difficulty. Angel knew what he and Buffy shared something special but they didn't have the sort of passion between them that Spike and Xander seemed to share in abundance. It was that sort of passion that drew Angel to them like a moth to a flame. Angel barely heard the end of Spike's speech.

"...Notion, now is it?"

All of those below Spike still able to pay attention shook their heads and Spike beamed at them, "Good, you aren't as dumb as you look..."he was cut off by the door of the club slamming open, he whirled to see but knew who would be standing behind him. Buffy stood there, a stake held tight in her hand, Ford by her side. Buffy was about to move to attack Spike but saw Xander as she made her way up the steps of the stair case, shaking her head at Buffy. It was the expression on the dark haired girl's face that stopped her more than anything else. It was a look that Xander got when they went on patrol, that said Xander had a plan in the works and Buffy needed to follow along. Buffy had learned to listen when Xander got that look. Slowly Buffy lowered her stake, still keeping it between her and the vampire, "Spike," she said neutrally.

Spike squinted at her but followed her lead, "Slayer," he replied in the same way.

Ford looked confused at the politeness, "Slayer," he said pointing at Buffy, "Vampire," he pointed to Spike, "this is suppose to be the big fight scene!"

Buffy blinked realizing this was what Ford had been planning all along, "You lying scumbag!"

"Everyone lies," Ford said, blandly.

"It was a trap!"

Spike rolled his eyes, sometimes it surprised him at how thick the Slayer could be, he pulled out his box of cigarettes, got one and put the rest back in his pocket. He lit it up with his lighter, and returned it to his pocket. "Of course it was a trap," he took a long drag off of it, " it just wasn't for you," he said exhaling the smoke into her face. "It was for the twat that thought he could strong arm me," Spike looked at Ford, taking in the boy's disbelieve, "Wot? You really that you could get one over William the Bloody?"

"We had a deal," Ford grated out.

Xander laughed, knowing how Spike was going to react to that.

"No," the blond vampire said, "you dictated terms you thought I'd be amendable to, and I let you think I was. There's no deal in any of that. Just an ego bigger than my own, which personally? I find hard to credit."

That did it for Xander and she let loose a barking, yip of a laugh that caused every one who heard it to shiver. Spike may be evil but the  man had a biting wit as sharp as his fangs and wasn't shy about using it. Xander had always found it amusing. Xander actually felt sorry for Ford, as she said, "He stinks of death," to Buffy, "he smells like Morgan did."

Buffy blinked because they had found out Morgan had brain cancer, "Cancer? You have cancer?'

Anger filled Ford's face, "Six months, that's all I have. Don't you see? This was the only choice!"

"You had other choices!" Buffy told him.

"Yeah, he's got death-and it's going to be an ugly one."

At Spike's word's Ford attacked Spike before Buffy could stop him. There really was no contest, Spike dropped his cigarette, grabbed Ford by the hair, using the boy's own momentum to pull him close before slamming his fangs into Ford's throat.

"SPIKE!" Xander shouted. She had known he was feeding, now on the innocent...and maybe the not so innocent. But to actually see it again after so many years in the _Before_ when Spike hadn't? It was shocking to see.

Spike carelessly dropped Ford at Xander's shout. "Well, that should take some of the piss and vinegar out of him. Make him a bit more easier to handle, I think." A grossed at look crossed his face, "Gotta find something to get that taste out of my mouth. Maybe a co-ed or something from Willie's private stock," he muttered as he brushed passed Buffy, "No need to thank me," as he walked out the door.

"Why would I thank him for killing Ford?"

Xander looked down at Ford crumpled on the ground, "Well since he's still breathing? He's not dead. Spike was right this should make it easier to get him back to his parents. And when you do?" Xander said giving Buffy a meaningful look, "You really should tell them about his delusions about vampires." Xander walked out of the club and leaned on a wall watching as the club goers trailed out of the club silently. Willow and Jonathan came out and told Xander they were going to head home. Finally Buffy and Angel came out carrying Ford between them, she was able to hear their conversation,

"So, who's idea was it to be at the club?" Buffy asked.

Angel glanced down att h boy between them, "It was pretty much a unanimous decision, Buffy. After we found out he wasn't on the up and up, no-one was going to leave you alone with him for long."

Buffy looked straight a head as they walked, her eyes blurring with tears, "Oh," she said softly, "Thank you."

Xander watched them until they were out of sight, "Well, that's Deadboy for you. Alaways trying to make himself look good."

Spike melted out of the shadows, where he had been lurking, although he would never call it that. With a disgruntled look on his face, "You know, you could at least pretend to be surprised, make a bloke fell better, it would."

Xander rolled her eyes, "Why would I do that?"

"Because it would make me feel better..." Spike said with exasperation.

Xander giggled then whimsically asked, " So why didn't you kill Ford?"

Spike glanced at her, "Do you want the truth or do you want me to lie?'

"Whichever makes you feel better."

"He was and asshole who didn't deserve an easy death."

"Now the lie."

Spike smirked bitterly, " the good guys are always the heroes and the bad guys are the villians. No one will ever die and we will all get to live happily ever after. and I'm just a fluffy bunny at heart."

"Is that that truth?"

"It's whatever you want it to be." Spike said walking away from Xander.

"You liar," Xander whispered knowing he would be able to hear her, "I can't trust you, can I?"


	15. Romeo's Got Nothing...

Spike paced as he smoked his cigarette. He knew what he should be doing. The idea kept twisting and pounding in his head but he knew it wouldn't work. It hadn't the first time around. _I'm suppose to be calling the bleeding Order of Taraka soo-it wouldn't be a hard thing to do-I just have to pick up the bloody phone and dial their one-eight hundred number. So why aren't I?_

He turned sharply to avoid running into the wall, _Because they don't stop until their targets are dead and they don't care about collateral damage..."_ ARGH!!!" Spike grabbed his hair in frustration. Spike closed his eyes, sighing, _I don't want to hurt them. I should want to hurt the cartoon gang...a lot. They're nothing but a bunch of bints hopped up on the idea of girl-power! I don't have a use for any of them...well, except for his poof of a grandsire, "_ Him I have a use for," he muttered to himself.

Spike tossed down his cigarette stepping on it as he walked over to a nearby table and picked up his pack, he shook one from the pack and pick up his zippo lighter. He lit the cigarette, puffing angrily on it for a moment, "If I make the call everything should be the same as before...but if I don't there's a chance things will be different, or won't it?" asked himself before stating to pace again.

Spike suddenly threw down his cigarette and stomped on it. He grabbed the closest minion, "I'm going out. Watch Dru. If anything happens to her while I'm gone..." trailed off leaving the threat unspoken. "Have to go talk to the one person who will understand my dilemma, you see."

The minion shivered and nodded. It was better to nod and agree when their master got like this.

***

Xander moaned and turned over in bed, barely awakening at the sound. She pulled the covers away from her face, reaching over she turned on her lamp, on the bed side stand. Again, there came a tapping noise. Xander looked around the room, she realized it was coming from her window. Slowly getting up, she pulled a wooden stake from under her pillow then made her way over to the window. She pushed the curtain aside, startled to see _Spike_ perched on the slope of the roof. _Huh, what does he want?_ Xander wondered, as she pulled open the window. A cool breeze entered her room when she did so, "Hey," she greeted him, suspiciously.

Spike smiled. This new Xander was smart not that the boy was ever stupid, no matter how much he had pretended to be but this version didn't hide who or what they were thinking anymore. With a glance over Xander's pajama-clad form, was a right treat to look at still, Spike noted. "Hullo," he greeted back softly, "Can we chat for a few?"

"You are so not getting an invite, pal." Xander started heatedly but when Spike made no protest continued in a calmer tone, "I'm wake. So long as you don't mind talking from where you are, then sure."

"Nice jammies by the way, pet." Spike told her with a smirk.

Xander looked down at herself. She was dressed in a blue tank top and matching sleep pants that had...purple bunnies on them. Xander gestured to herself, "Yeah I guess it's not an outfit that matches my fearsome reputation, huh?"

Mirth shinning from Spike's bright blue eyes, he shook his head.

"Ah, well, it seems that the secret to being a girl is all in the clothes."

"I don't think that quite the way of it. Living with Dru for as long as I have has allowed me to know that women are just incomprehensible."

"Spike, Dru is insane."

"Well, yeah, that just means she doesn't play games-loopy for her is just that, loopy."

Xander chuckled at that, "Thank you Mr. Gump, for that sparkling insight into women," she closed her eyes sighing before asking a question she had been wondering about since Spike let her know he remembered the _Before, "_ Spike? Do you have the same spotty recall of the past, that I do, right?"

Spike looked at her for a long moment then finally said, "Yeah, don't think we remember the things the same way though and their is some things I know that you don't and the like for me, I think."

"Have you tried to _change_ anything?"

Spike nodded, "Tried to change the night Dru was attacked by the mob in Prague. Didn't work, she slipped pass the minion I had watching her. And I knew I should have killed the Annoying One first off but for some reason it kept slipping my mind. Until I killed him the same way as I did in the _Before_ as you call it."

Xander sighed, "It's like swimming up stream in a fast moving river. It seems impossible and can take forever but eventually, you get where you need to go. But it takes so much effort to fight the current when going with the flow is so much easier. And nothing ever seems to really change."

Spike could hear the wariness in her voice. "Tired out already, are you?"

"Yes..." came the honest whispered answer before she shook her head, and more strongly said, "No!"

Spike sighed, "Well, I am." At her look," I had to have a whole mental conversation with myself to keep myself from doing something I found I really _don't_ want to do."

"The Order of Taraka? Even if you don't bring them here? I get the feeling they may still show up-it's got that feel to it."

Spike gave her a sharp look, but she didn't seen angry, just tired. He sighed again, nodding, "Like you're a puppet in someone else play and if you don't play your part, someone else will. Just to make sure it gets done?"

"Precisely."

Spike groaned, "I feel like I had a passenger in my own head at times. It feels rather like the _soul_ did in the _Before."_ Spike shuddered at the memory, "Glad I don't have one of those anymore. It was creepy."

Xander nodded, "Strangely, I like you better this way too." And that Xander found was the truth, though she didn't understand why. Spike was much more dangerous without a soul. He had nothing to reign him in. "I get what you are saying," she ran a hand over her face, "that in many ways we seem to be forcibly guided by our choices that we made in the past."

"So, what do we do about it?"

"Keep swimming or do you enjoy being a puppet?"

Spike smirked, slightly, "Know a great story about that and the Poof. Remind me to tell you about it sometime. But yeah, I like the idea of that no more than you do."

Xander reached out the open window and bopped Spike on the head, "That's using the old noggin'"

"Oi. leave off with the jokes, your still bad at them."

Xander giggle before letting out a small sigh, "I have to get some sleep, unlike a certain vamp I have school in the morning."

"Might actually learn something this time around," Spike snarked. He grinned at the glare he got in return.

"Night, Spike." Xander said, letting the window slam shut.

Spike watched the girl as she crawled back into bed, "Good night, Xan." he whispered before he turned and jumped off the roof.

***

Over the following weeks Spike made regular appearances at Xander's window. At first Xander didn't know what tp make of this and the fact that Spike never once asked or tried to trick his way into her house confused her even more. She thought it was because she was the only one who remember the past like he did. They were more offend then not falling into talking about the _Before_ what they remembered and didn't. Spike would sometimes tell stories about where he had been and done when he hadn't been in Sunnydale. Xander in turn would tell him of the things that had happened before he was around and what had happened to the other after the Hellmouth had fallen.

It was strange they never talked about the now, Xander never once asked what Spike's plans against the Scoobys were and he never asked what the Scoobys defenses against him were. It reminded Xander of the old Looney-Tune cartoon of the coyote and the sheep dog who were friends until they punched the time clock and became the worst of enemies. This new turn in Xander's relationship with Spike was unsettling as to say the least.

"...So that that Kennedy bint is about the same age as the bints? You think she's roaming around?" Spike asked, he had never like the girl. From what Xander had told him about how she had broke Red's heart? He really didn't like her. Red was a good one. She had brought him brownies after the whole will-be-done spell that caused him to kiss the Slayer in the _Before._

"I guess, she's just not a slayer, right now." Xander said, uncaringly. Sitting at her desk writing in her notebook, making a note to keep Willow from ever meeting that girl.

"So, if she got hit by a random car..."

"Spike!" Xander laughed, "No."

Spike sighed. Xander never let him have any fun.

***

"There is no way that happened."

"True, pet."

"You did not steal the Hope Diamond."

Spike leaned back, staring up at the moon as he took a drag from his cigarette, " Dru saw the pretty blue stone and wanted it."

"You did know it was cursed, right?"

Spike winched, "Kind of found out after the fact."

Xander laughed at Spike's pained look of remembrance.

***

Xander leaned against the wall, next to the window. Her Litature book in her lap, "Spike, what do you know about eighteen century poetry?"

"Why do you want to know?" Spike asked, warily.

***

Xander shook her head, "Now I know you are pulling my leg."

"Honest truth."

"Rasputin was a warlock?"

"Yep."

Xander only shook her head.

***

Trust me, Spike. This whole girl thing is so uncool."

"why do you say that? You'd have to be the one person in the whole world who can now understand both sexes."

"Yeah, you'd think that, wouldn't you. I can live with the long hair and the boobies. I can deal with the lost of my dick and the weird ass emotions I get with PMS," Xander grinned at Spike's shocked look-the grin turned into an evil smirk, she decided to discomfort him some more, "Yup, I'm a full functioning female. You wouldn't believe the freak out I had when that happened. I'll spare you the gruesome details. But man, let me just say the only good thing about that? Is I can eat all the chocolate I want. The only thing I really haven't figured out is the tingle."

Spike blinked, "The what?"

Xander's face turned the color of a ripe tomato. She hadn't meant to bring _that_ up.

***

"But soft through yonder window..."

"Can it, Spike. Romeo, you ain't."

***

"So, I have to know? Did Billy Idol really steal his look from you?"

"Bloody right! He did, the bastard."

***

Jessica Harris walked by her daughter's room on the way to her own. The sound of low male laughter coming from Xander's room made her stop suddenly, she flinched at the sound before taking a deep breath. She walked to the open door, and pushed on it until she could see inside the room. Xander was sitting next o her open window, a school book in her lap, talking to a boy with bleach blonde hair that was sitting on the roof outside the window. He looked to be the same age as Xander, maybe a little older but not much. He was working the Punk look hard.

"No!"

Jessica heard Xander exclaim. To something the boy said, there came, "No way!"

Followed by, a sarcastic, "Right," and a, "Huh-uh."

Jessica watched as Xander's hand came up and she began to twirl a lock of her hair between her fingers. Jessica also saw how she smiled at the boy, as if he intrigued and amused her at the same time. Then came the dreaded, "Oh, my god!" Done in the sing-song way only a California Valley girl can do so annoyingly well. Yes, it was official-her daughter was flirting with the boy at her window. Jessica wasn't sure how she felt about that. Jessica made a note to find out more about him. Before continuing on to her room.

***

"So, while I was getting my ass kicked in a cave, the Slayer was thinking that all of Sunnydale-vampires and demons even her being the Slayer-was all a delusion she was having while in an asylum?"

"Well, if you think about it... Scarily enough it makes sense. After all, which is more believable... A girl with superpowers that fights evil and dreams of being normal- or a girl in an asylum that dreams of having superpowers? "

***

Angel's nightly patrol path took him past the homes of the humans he thought of as his. On this night as he passed Xander's house something got his attention and made him stop dead in his tracks. Spike was sitting perched on the slanted roof besides the window that led to Xander's room. He knew it was her's because he had seen her crawl out of it for patrol too many times.

_What the hell?_ He wondered he was about to go storming over and yank his peeping Tom of a grandchilde off the roof-when he realized that the window was open-from the husky laughter that floated down- he knew someone was in the room by the window. Spike was talking Angel realized. Angel watched as Spike all but made love to the air around him as he flirted with the figure inside the room. Another incrediblely sexy, husky laugh float out of the window.  Xander leaned out the window.

Anger fill Angel and he wasn't sure why-just that it did. He watched as Xander's hand cross the threshold of the window and caress Spike's jaw, Angel snapped into his demon face growling lowly-as the anger burned hotter in his soul. With a bit of a fight Angel shrugged of the demon with some effort. He couldn't deal with this tonight, no, he had to finish his patrol with one last glance Angel walked away- _what the hell is going on with those two?_

_***_

"Angel was a Muppet!" Xander exclaimed.

Spike grinned, nodding.

"Like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy type of Muppet."

"He was more of a Bert actually, now that I think on it. Barely a foot tall with a unibrow caveman forehead. It was the only time I ever thought Peaches looked cute. It was a shame he couldn't have stayed that way."

"I would have _paid money_ to see that." Xander said laughing.

***

Spike tapped on Xander's window and almost fell off of the roof when a pretty older version of Xander with twin silver-white streaks in her dark opened the window instead of Xander. "So, you're the one my daughter's been having all these late time chats with..." said the woman with a small smirk.

Spike stuttered out, "Y-yes, mum.."

"Well, what's your name? Or should I just call you Romeo? I'm Jessica Harris, Xander's mother." Jessica said, thinking, _well, if nothing else my daughter has great taste in guys. Those cheek bones alone...if this one had been older I might have thrown Rupert over and fought Xander for him._ Jessica shook that thought away in time to hear the boy's answer.

"I go by Spike, but me mother named me, William."

"So, which do I call you by?"

"Whatever you prefer, mum."

Jessica gave him a thoughtful look, "William," She decided, "It's a good name." Then asked, "What's with the whole Romero and Juliet thing you got going on with my Xan?"

Spike scrabbled for an answer that wouldn't get him peramently dead. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth. He was surprised she hadn't recognized him from the disastrous night at the school. He thanked whatever lucky star that was looking out for him, wondering inanely if Dru had asked them too? "My relationship with Xander is complicated at best..." he let his voice trial off as he considered the woman in front of him. She was strong, he could tell. Spike could see this was who Xander inherited _his_ strength from in the _Before._ Of course the Xander of _Now_ was strong too, in a lot of ways but looking at her mother he could tell that even without the supernatural upgrade she would have been. Remembering the Xander from _Before_ made him recall the other version of this woman too- how she had been beaten down, tired and eventually-as much of a boozer as Xander's father had been.

Tony Harris had been a waste of space and air if there had ever been one, Spike reflected. He'd seen no sign of the man's present existence, other than Xander being her at all and wondered whatever had become of him but it was a passing  thought. The snapping of fingers in front of his face brought Spike back to the present. "Sorry," he apologized. He couldn't believe he let himself go like that while someone else was a round-it was like he had a bleeding death wish.

"Are you going to sit there all night? Or are you going to come in?" Jessica asked, "I was about to make some hot chocolate."

Spike blinked, nodding as he asked, "The kind with the little marshmallows?"

"As if there is any other kind."

Spike grinned a boyishly happy grin, "Miss, I'd be delighted," he said, gracefully climbing through the window. It wasn't until he was standing in Xander;s room when he realized that _Xander_ might not be to happy with this turn of events. Spike shook the thought away as he followed the older woman out of the room. There was hot chocolate to be had. If there was one thing he and Xander agreed on? It was you never turn down chocolate-ever!

***

Xander walked in through the front door, sighing in relief. The worst thing about this do-over? Was that all the movies were old to her and she had to pretend they weren't while she was around the gang. She started up to her room when she heard voices coming from the kitchen. At first she thought it was Giles. It wasn't unheard of for one of her mother's dates to end with them having tea. Her mother had actually learned how to brew it just for Giles, when Xander's mother could barely brew coffee! She thought it was Giles until she began to listen to the voice and realized  that the accent was rougher and the tone silkier....and it better not be who she thought it was or a certain bleached blonde vampire was going to end up filling a dust buster!

Xander made her way into the kitchen blinking at the scene before her, her mother sat across from Spike at the kitchen table both had cups of hot chocolate from the scent of them. _That's my hot chocolate,_ Xander unconsciously growled drawing Spike's attention then her mother's.

"Xander!" Spike almost choked on his sip of chocolate, from the look on the girl's face he could tell she was not pleased, "Lok, it's not what you think-I would never...but your mum offered my hot coco with marshmallows! There's only so much a guy can resist, you know!"

Xander cocked her head to the side, okay, yeah, she couldn't really blame him for taking advantage, not when chocolate had been used for a lure. It's not like Xander wouldn't have down the same thing. At Spike's apprehensive look, she grunted, "Relax bleach for Brains, I'll let it go this time but don't go thinking you'll be making a habit of this."

"And why not?" Jessica asked. Xander had forgot that she was still in the room. "He's been a perfect guest."

Spike hid a smirk behind his mug and couldn't wait to see Xander talk her way out of this.

Jessica sat back in her chair trying to keep a straight face as her daughter's face when red.

"What? Mom?" xander huffed, glaring at Spike when he snickered. She started again, "You don't get it...it's,"

"It's what?" Jessica asked, the confusion in her voice was so fake before she started to laugh with Spike. Xander was so cute when she got flustered.

"You two suck-Spike, please let the door hit you on the way out. I'm going to bed. Good night." Xander told them storming out of the room. She paused at the stairs, saying in a low conversational tone of voice, "You hurt my mother and you wouldn't live to gloat about it." Then she continued to up the stairs to her room.

Spike heard every word of Xander's threat and knew that she meant it. It didn't matter though, Spike always gave a free pass to those that gave him chocolate. Turning his full attention back to the lady of the house he saw the look of speculation on her face, sitting up straighter Spike asked, "Wot?"

"Just wanting to know what makes you and Xander so complicated-you two have the spark for something great." Jessica's eyes narrowed, "I have to warn you though... You hurt my daughter and I'll come after you with a shovel and trust me when I say I know where to bury a body in this town where it would never be found."

Spike shifted in his seat uncomfortablely, that had sounded way too much like Red's shovel talk and he wondered if this was whom she has learned it from. Spike sighed, it was almost farcical to be threatened by both women in the family within moments of each other...almost be not quite. _It's time to make a graceful exit,_ Spike thought, _well as much of one as I ever can._

***

Drusilla watched the pretender at the desk, writing. Always he wrote his little notes these days. His poetry was better than that of old but still it should be her it was directed too not... When he wasn't writing or plotting, he was watching the box that just showed _her_ image.

"My sweet boy's gone away..." Drusilla whimpered, softly.

"Did you say something, Dru?" The speaker said it absently as if he didn't really expect an answer.

"... _to her..."_ Drusilla growled, her eyes flashing yellow-red in the shadows of the room.

 

 

 

 

 


	16. Hey! That's My Line...pt. 1

Spike looked down at the stolen book in his hands, it had been taken from the Watcher's library by one of the minions a few nights ago. He sighed then handed the book over to Dalton, who halting began to translate the ancient text. After reading and scribbling some notes down Dalton began to speak, "I'm not sure but it could be," he shrugged looking down at the book, " _Demprimere. Ille. Bubula. Linter?"_

Spike picked up a nearby Latin dictionary and flipped through the paged quickly, "Debase, the beef, canoe?" He gave Dalton a dark look before saying; "This does not strike me as right."

Dalton only gave him a sheepish look before turning his attention back to the book. Spike threw the dictionary down in frustration; there was something he need to remember, something that would help him find the cure to Dru's illness. Spike watched his Sire, she sat at the other end of the table where Dalton was sitting. A deck of Tarot cards spread out in front of her. Spike walked over to the her, "What do you see, pet?"

Drusilla glanced up at him before looking back down at the cards, "Many things," she sneered at Dalton. "He can't help us," she flipped a card on to the table, it had a picture of a mausoleum on it. Drusilla put her finger on it, "you need a key,"

Spike closed his eyes, _of bloody course,_ "The Cross of Du Lac," he whispered, he looked at his sire who gave him a wide eyed look. "take the boys," he said to Dalton not looking away from Drusilla, "Find me the Cross of Du Lac, it's here in one of the graveyards, to his Sire he told her, "I will have your cure, my sweet."

"It's humming," Drusilla purred, "such a pretty tune but so faint! I want to hear it's song, my Spike."

Spike took one of Drusilla's hands in his, he placed a kiss on the back of it before she pulled it away from him, "And so you shall," Drusilla smiled faintly at him as she dealt out three more tarot card on to the table, one was of a Cyclops from a Greek legend, one of a centipede warped around a woman and the last was of a black panther.

"The Order of Taraka," Spike said flatly.

"The bounty hunters?" Dalton asked in surprise, "D-don't y-you think that's a bit over kill?"

"No, under the right circumstances they can be just enough kill," Spike looked at Drusilla, shaking his head, "Baby, we really don't need them here. They'll just muck up our plans." He frowned when she started to pout.

"I want them to come to my party."

"No," Spike said harshly, causing Drusilla to whimper hurtly. She got up from the table, she swayed grabbing her head, moaning in pain. Spike could see the dark bruises on her arms had gotten bigger, her illness was getting worst as time past. He caught her be fore she could fall to the floor. "Sweets, I hate seeing you like this."

Drusilla whimpered again, in the pretender's arms, she would have the guests she desired at her party, no matter what the pretender said. The _Laughing Dog's_ screams would be sweet music to hear. She reached up and caressed the handsome face the pretender had stolen, "Soon," she whispered.

***

"Are you a people person?" Xander asked in an overly perky way, she sat at the table with her friends in the student lounge. Asking a question from the stupid career test they were being forced to take. "Or do you prefer your own company?"

"But what if I'm a people person who keeps his own company by default?" Jonathan asked, looking down at his own test frowning.

Amy shot her boyfriend a look, "You're not alone, Johnny."

"Yeah," Xander muttered," you're keeping company with the three prettiest girls in school."

"And you, Xander," Buffy said absently but Xander saw the grin the blonde was suppressing. Xander glared at her as Buffy said, "Mark none of the above."

Jonathan blinked looking up at her, "There are no boxes for 'none of the above'."

"Is that bitterness, I hear?" Willow asked at the tone of voice the dark haired boy used.

"There is no way these people can tell what we are going to be from one test!" Xander exclaimed suddenly, wondering why she was even taking the test. The results from them in the _Before_ hadn't been all that great.

Willow smiled shyly, "Oh, I don't know. I'm kind of curious to find out what sort of career I could have."

"Don't worry, Wills, I'm sure you 're brilliant enough to do anything." Xander told the redhead. Willow grinned brightly back at her.

Cordelia breezed through the room followed by two of her sheep. She was carrying a clipboard, taking her test on it while addressing the two other girls with her, " 'Do I aspire to help my fellow man?' Check. " Cordelia frowned, "As long as he's not smelly, gross or anything like that." Cordelia walked by their table up behind Willow, she reached out and lightly stroked the red locks of Willow's hair in passing. It caused Cordelia's sheep to stumble to a halt in surprise.

_Time to be a distraction,_ Xander thought, though out aloud she said, "Cordelia Chase, everyone, the helping hand to the rich and pretty."

Cordelia blinked at the insult, slightly hurt. It had been weeks since Xander had insulted that well. Ever since she and Willow had started to become closer, Xander had backed off with her teasing and verbal sparring with Cordelia. She was surprised at how much she had missed it. She noticed that Xander was staring intently over her shoulder, Cordelia glanced behind her and saw her shee- _err-_ friends and knew what Xander was doing for her, she gave Xander a grateful smile before saying, with a small playful smirk, "Which, lucky for me, excludes you, twice over."

Xander rolled her eyes and said nothing, letting the sheep think Cordelia's words had gotten the better of her. Willow whispered a quiet _thank you_ which Xander only shrugged  off. Xander didn't care if willow and Cordelia liked each other this time around. Xander thought they might even be good together.

"Do I like shrubs?" Buffy asked breaking the tension, as Cordelia walked away with her sheep following her.

"That's between you and who you worship," Jonathan said

"I like shrubs," Amy said.

"Of course you do," Willow said nose wrinkling up at the cutesy tone Amy used.

"Shrubs rule," Xander said bored.

"I get it, go with the shrubs," Buffy muttered, she threw down her pencil, "Why should I even bother with this? We all ready know what my deal will be!"

Xander snorted, "Yep, high risk, no pay and a lot of dusting."

"So why are you and Buffy here if you both think the test is worthless?" Willow asked in a disappointed tone.

Buffy sighed, "It's Snyder's new hoop for us to jump through this week. He's never happy unless Xan and me are jumping to his tune. Believe me, we wouldn't be here otherwise." At Willow's look Xander nodded in agreement.

"So, you're not at all curious about what you could be if you weren't, you know," Amy paused looking around and dropping her voice to a whisper, " _the Slayer?"_

"Do the words 'sealed in fate' mean anything to you guys?"

"Not really," Amy said.

"Can't say it does." Jonathan told Buffy. Willow only shook her head.

"It's going to be that cheery outlook on life that will win you that job at the DMV." Xander said with a smirk.

Buffy glared at Xander, "I'd say my future is pretty much a non issue, unless Hell freezes over and vamps decide to take up ice-skating instead of eating people."

"Well, I can see you are a 'glass half full' kind of girl, huh." Xander snickered.

Buffy just glared at the rest of her friends when they joined Xander in her snickering.

***

Patrol last night was not all that interesting only one vamp, mostly Xander was still reeling from what her career aptitude test results had been. She walked into the school library in time to hear Giles say,"...How was last night's patrol," to Buffy, the blonde was sitting on one of the tables. Xander did a quick about face and just about made it back through the door when she heard, "Freeze right there, Xander! I want an account of your patrol as well."

_Damn,_ Xander thought as she threw herself into a nearby chair. She really didn't understand why she had to give accounts of her patrols, it's not like she was a slayer or anything. But Giles treated Xander like she was one most of the time.

"Um, it was a quiet night for me, only one vamp." Xander told the Watcher, mostly because she didn't think telling him that she had spent half of her patrol time at Alibi bar playing poker with Spike and a few other demons, would go over very well. Concerning how Giles reacted when Buffy blew it off to go shopping.

"I came across two while they were stealing something from this jumbo mausoleum, I staked one but the other got away." Buffy said after Xander.

"They took something, you say?"

"Yeah, guys had flashlights and everything."

Giles started to pace.

_Giles in pace mode is never good,_ Xander thought. Xander sighed as Buffy started to complain about how she never got to do normal teenager things and Giles scolded the slayer telling her that the blonde need to take her calling more seriously.

"If you don't like how I do things," Buffy snapped at her watcher, "you can always fine someone else!" Buffy looked at Xander.

Xander shook her head, holding up a hand, "Sorry buff, strictly back-up girl, here."

Buffy mouthed the word ' _traitor'_ at Xander, to Giles she said, "but you can't. At least not until I die."

"That is not by any means funny, Buffy." Giles told his slayer. "You care about such trivial concerns. Look at Xander, she doesn't worry about things like that."

"Of course they don't matter to Xander! She was a he! Why would you expect that part of her base personality to change just because she got boobs? Jeez, they never mattered to her when she was a guy-I still have no idea who dresses her for her to look so good!"

_I dress so well after hearing every woman in my life complain about my lack of dress sense. I so didn't want to deal with it this time. Plus it kind of helped that I do have a decent wardrobe this time around,_ Xander thought, wondering if Buffy was insulting her femininity?

Giles took off his glasses and began to polish them on his sleeve, "Buffy, I hardly think talking about your friend's attributes in front of me is at all proper-please refrain from doing so in the future."

Xander rolled her eyes, "Gee, Giles however do you stand dating my mother? Because I know she's much more plain spoke than Bufffy."

"Ahem, what your mother and I do or do not talk about is hardly any of your concern, Xander, "Giles saw Buffy open her mouth, "or yours, Buffy," he gave both girls a hard look, "understood?"

From the look on Buffy's face Xander thought the girl was going to say something but she must have thought better of it, so Xander said, with a slight shudder, "Trust me, Buffy, you so don't want to go there."

"We must find out what was stolen from that mausoleum." Giles said.

Plans were made to go to the graveyard that Buffy had seen the vampires in.

***

Xander sighed following Buffy through the cemetery entrance. Buffy swung the metal gate open. While Xander, who was holding a flashlight, waited for Giles to catch up to them.

"Buffy! Xander! Slow down, please!"

"Giles, we have work to do, remember?" Buffy said.

"Yeah, Giles get with the program," Xander said watching as Giles held his chest and breath hard with some concern.

"Buffy, you are being remarkably immature." Giles said to the slayer.

"He's go a point, Buff." Xander said in a helpful tone that earned her a glare from the blonde girl.

"You know what? Because I'm a teenager I have the right to be immature!"

"She's got a point too, Giles." Xander said, nodding.

Giles ignored Xander's commentary, saying; "I was simply, "Giles paused and took a breath, "offering some constructive criticism."

"He really was, Buffy," Xander said as they passed some tomestomes.

"No! He was being harsh, Xan! God, Giles you act like I picked this gig. Newsflash. I so didn't. I was the one that was picked!"

"Yeah, she was," Xander started but was cut off by both Slayer and Watcher with,

"Shut up, Xander!!"

_"Sheesh!_ I was trying to help." Xander walked ahead of them but stopped when she came to the mausoleum that Buffy had staked the vampire in front of last night. She listened to Buffy and Giles conversation with half an ear but had to ask, "Law Enforcement? Giles, somehow I don't think that would be the best career choice for Buffy. I mean polyester uniforms aside and all you can eat dough nuts not withstanding, she would more than likely end up putting me behind bars."

Buffy and Giles gave her an odd look, "Tell me do I scream ' _Career Criminal'_ to you? Be honest."

Buffy tried to hide her giggle, " Well, you do believe in the five finger discount and know how to pick locks."

"Hey, lock picking is a life skill! One everyone should know how to do. And I only endorse the five finger discount if the world is ending!" Xander defended herself.

"So, you're a sometimes criminal," Buffy goaded Xander.

"Yes!" Xander said with a nod, at Buffy's wide grin and the start of a smirk on Giles face, shook her head, "No! Well-maybe?" Xander sighed, jerking her flashlight, "I think we are here."

They entered the tomb, walking down the steps to the main chamber, it was empty but for some broken vases and a lot of dust. Xander turned her light to the far wall of the crypt and saw where the wall had been broken into clearly.

"It's a reliquary. It's used to house items of religious significance. Most commonly a finger or some other body part." Giles told the girls.

"Eww!" Buffy said.

"Religion is fre~aky." Xander in a sing-song tone. Buffy nodded in agreement. Xander moved her light shinning it all around the tomb making a circle with the light but came back to the broken wall. She shinned the light above the hole and saw the name carved into the stone.

"Du Lac," Xander whispered to herself, barely hearing Giles explain who Du Lac was to Buffy, "I know what was stolen."

Giles turned to Xander asking sharply, "What was that, Xander?"

Xander winced not realizing they had heard her, "I know what was stolen, I think. This Du Lac guy was big in the dark arts, right?" Xander asked waiting for Giles to nod, when he did she continued, "The book that was stolen a few days ago, it was written by Du Lac, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Giles confirmed.

"The book was written in code. In order to read it you would need the Cross of Du Lac."

"How do you know that, Xander?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, how?" Giles asked suspiciously, "The Cross of Du Lac is not a well known artifact."

Xander sighed, it amazed her, the things she remembered and how she would remember them. _I should have known, here I try to use some of my foreknowledge to help them and **this** is the way they act._ Xander sighed again, _Well it's not like they know its foreknowledge that I know._

"Giles, Buffy, where do I spent most of my time? In the _library,"_   Xander said hoping they would believe this, "You know, where the books live. I get bore sometimes and actually read the words in them and not just look at the pictures."

Buffy and Giles only blinked at her.

 

 


	17. Hey! That's My Line...pt.2

Drusilla sat at the table with the Cross of Du Lac next to her, by it she had lain three tarot cards, slowly she reached out and turned one over the Cyclops face down. "Pet?" She heard the pretender ask in concern. Drusilla sighed,

"He's gone to the underworld, slayed by Penelope."

We're so close," the imposter frowned as he looked down at the cards, to being able to read the book. We just need a little more time."

"Time is something we have enough of... It allows them to get closer, to the sweet feelings of the Golden One, she entrances Not Daddy even as we speak." Drusilla nodded to herself before turning cold, hard brown eyes on to the fake that worn the face of her wicked light. "The Laughing One, her spell grows stronger on the Prince." A flash of mirth crossed her face as it also become light and dreamy, "Soon the Kitten will howl!"

"Kitten's don't howl, luv." Spike said, but he had a worried look on his face.

***

Buffy had limped into the library tem minutes ago. Willow had gone to get Buffy some ice to put on her knee she had hurt it when she blew off patrol for an ice skating date with Angel. Only to be attacked by a large one eyed vampire. Buffy had asked after Johnathan and Amy and found that they had gone home hours ago. 

"Their parents actually worry about them," Xander snarked.

Giles frowned at her, "Your mother worries about you too." Instead of answering him Xander only shook her head. Buffy gave Giles the ring she had taken off the vampire. He looked at it under a magnifying glass to see the symbol on it, as Buffy expressed the fearful reaction the dark haired vampire had to seeing the ring.

"I'm afraid he wasn't overreacting as you fear. This ring is only wore by--" he was cut off when Xander plucked the ring out of Giles fingers and said,

"The Order Of Taraka."

"How did you know that?" Giles questioned Xander.

Xander shrugged, knowing she couldn't tell them the truth, yet. "Stopped by the Alibi Room, Willie can be a fountain of information if you ask just right. It was being whispered that the Order was going to come and be gunning for the Slayer." At Buffy's blank look, "Their assassins, Buffy."

"Why are their assassins after me?"

"Cause you're the scourge of the supernatural underworld?" Willow asked.

Buffy shrugged, "Scourge? That sounds more like Xander. "

"Hey!" Xander said affronted, "I'm not that bad!"

Giles explained about how bad the assassins really were but the only thing Xander thought was, _I wonder if Kendra's made it to Sunnydale, yet._

***

The next day Xander decided the best place for her to be was at Buffy's side. Xander watched the Slayer worriedly as they walked down the hall way of the school dodging around the job fair's booths. Buffy was rubbing her neck and shoulders obviously wigged at the thought of a supernatural assassins guild. When a student came barging through the door, slaming it open caused Buffy to jump defensively. Xander scanned the crowd slowly. Her gaze landed on a red-haired woman in a police uniform, she was standing at the law enforcement booth. Xander was about to go over to it when one of the male teacher's walked by combing his hair and bumped into Xander distracting her. The sound of a body being slammed into a lock though quickly got Xander's attention. She turned to see Buffy holding a brown-haired Oz by the throat against the lockers. Buffy quickly realized her mistake and let the boy go before she walked away .

Oz looked over at Xander and said, "That is on tense person," before he continued to wherever he was going.

***

_Xander walked down the long hall that led to the main room of the Crawford mansion. She knew that's where she was because she had spent many a night cleaning out vampire nests from it. Xander wondered idly why she was here, when she caught the quick flash of blond hair from the corner of her eye. The scent of leather and cigarettes filled the air, she turned startled by the sight of Spike sitting in and old-fashion turn of the century wheel chair, he muttered to himself as he rolled by her._

_Slowly Xander followed him down a hall passing a painting of a pair of white feathered wings, they were dirty, grimy, and slightly raggedly looking pinned to a black cloth by a golden lock as sunlight scorched the edges of the wings turning them black... Xander walked on and the next painting was a surrealistic one of a blonde Dresden doll fighting with a female tin soldier. Xander moved on still following the blond vampire when one last painting caught her eye, it was of black barbed wire wrapped around a red silk rope, they twisted and tangled together only to be joined by ring of  blue steel and a patch of  brown fur._

_Xander walked on until she was in the living area of the mansion, the fire place blazed and their was a pair of crossed swords above the mantle, she passed the statue of the demon with out giving it a look._

_"Hate this bloody thing, pet!" Spike said slamming his fists down on the arms of the wheel chair._

_Xander glanced at him, she walked over to a window and looked out of it she could see the green tinged sky of the braking dawn, "You always say that."_

_"Doesn't make it any less true," Spike said slyly, she looked back at Spike as he stood up from the chair and kicked it away causing it to crash into the wall behind them, "But things can change."_

Xander jerk up, awake when a hand touched her shoulder, pulling her out of the dream, it had been Giles who had woke her. Xander looked down at the table and remember she had gone to the library. She had fallen asleep reading a book about Du Lac, "No more creepy pictures..." she muttered. She looked at Giles, "Sorry, strange dreams-never mind me. I conked out, Giles."

"Please Xander, you've went beyond the call of duty lately. I know how much you hate research, no matter how good you are at it."

Xander smiled.

"But I think I've found something," he told Xander.

"What?"

"I found a description of the missing book of Du Lac wrote. I haven't managed to get all the details but I think it's purpose is to restore weak or ill vampires to full health."

_Drusilla's cure._ Xander thought.

The library door slammed open and Buffy walked in followed by Kendra, the Vampire Slayer. The Jamaican slayer barely gave Giles a look but stormed over to Xander,

"Identify yourself!"

"Back off, pink ranger," Buffy snarled, "That's my friend!"

Kendra gave Buffy a confused look, "Friend?"

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, some one you hang with or in my case slay with," tossing Xander a smile.

"I don't understand." Kendra muttered, sadly.

And Xander wanted the Watcher's Council to be blown up again, because no one should not know what a friend was. Buffy threw up her hands and muttered about giving up and Giles tried to explain why Buffy had friends and why they knew that Buffy was the Slayer. Buffy then began to argue the point that Kendra couldn't be the slayer because she was the Slayer.

Xander smirked, "Kendra's a slayer, alright." They all turned to look at her, "Come on, when one slayer dies another is called.. or chosen or something, right?"

"God lord!" Giles exclaimed, "Buffy was dead!"

Xander was confused, she looked at Buffy, "Isn't that what I just said?"

Buffy shrugged, a dark look on her face. Xander knew Buffy didn't like to think about her death at the hands of the Master. "It was just like for a minute."

"More like five, Buffy. But I'm guessing that was long enough to pass on at least part of the slayer essence, right Giles?" Xander asked. This had always confused Xander, she had wondered if the part of the slayer essence that had come back to Buffy had somehow weekend Kendra in someway?

"...thought you were a vampire,"

Xander heard Kendra say,

"...and a swing with a miss for the rookie." Buffy muttered.

"Did I not see kissing a vampire?"

The door to the library open again and Johnathan walked in, "Buffy would never kiss a vampire." His appearance caused Kendra to stiffen and start towards him, Xander only shook her head and said, "Calm you jets, girl. He's one of our magic users. Safely team slayer." Kendra relaxed a bit at that.

"Of course, "Johnathan continued, "unless it was Angel," he looked at Buffy, "It was Angel, right?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and asked him where Amy was. Johnathan told them she was at the Career Fair...where they all should be.

Xander leaned back in her chair and sighed as Buffy explained to the rookie that Angel was a good vampire... _If ever there was an oxymoron..._ she thought.

"Looked just like any other animal to me when I..." Kendra trail off at the look Buffy gave her.

"What did you do to him! What did you do!" Buffy asked darkly.

***

Drusilla moaned, tossing fitfully on the large bed. Spike leaned over and stroked her hair, she opened her eyes looking up at him, "I was dreaming," she told him.

"Of what?"

"The Savannavah..."

Spike froze at those words.

"...A wish was made..."

Spike looked at her and saw the vagueness in her eyes, he hoped it was nothing more than her normal mad ramblings but he knew Drusilla to well to really think that. Time for his distraction, "I have something for you, luv." He motion to the door and two other vampires dragged a tied up and gagged Angel between them. They dropped him on the floor in front of the bed then they left.

"My Angel?" Drusilla asked in a amazed little girl's voice.

"The one and only. Now all we need is tonight's full moon and he shall die, while you my love, will be restored!" Spike told her picking up her hand and kissing the back of it, "My dark goddess," then he trailed kisses down over her wrist, "my ripe," up her arm, "wicked plum," he raised his head to look her in the eyes. "It's been..."

"Forever..." Drusilla whispered, as she got off the bed and walked over to Angel, "You've been a very bad daddy. It's time for your punishment..."

 

 


	18. Hey! What's My Line...pt.3

"So, you believe dat Spike is attempting to revive di Drusilla?" Kendra asked. Xander walked with Buffy following Giles and the new slayer.

Xander snorted at her question.

"Well, duh!" Buffy said, "Of course Spike is going to help his sire."

"...Restore to her to full health, uh, well, an-and there's absolutely no telling what she might do?" Giles asked.

Xander shook her head still talking to Buffy, "Drusilla is going to with Spike's help, paint this town red. And more than likely she'll try and use our blood to do it."

"Den we will stop Spike." Kendra said determently.

"What does she think we've been trying to do? Xander muttered annoyed.

"Yeah, "Buffy agreed, "Oh, good plan," she told Kendra, "Let's go!"

Xander held up a fist and said mockingly bland, "Charge!"

"Girls," Giles said, warningly.

"It's a little more complicated than that, John Wayne." Buffy said.

"Yes," Giles said slowly, "I'm afraid it is. You see the Order of Taraka has also been called to keep Buffy out of the way."

"De assassins? I read of them in de writings of Dramius."

"Oh, really? Which volume?" Giles asked interesting in what Kendra knew about the assassins.

"How do you know this?" Buffy asked.

"From me studies."

Buffy blinked, "So I'm guessing you have a lot of time on your hands."

Kendra nodded, "I study because it's required, "she smiled, "The **Slayer's Handbook** insists on it."

"A handbook? There's actually a handbook for this Slayer stuff?" Buffy asked outraged, "Why haven't I seen it!"

"I'm sure Giles, is just waiting for the revised version to come out." Xander told Buffy trying not the smirk.

The Watcher sighed, "After meeting you, Buffy, I realized that, uh, the handbook would be little use in your case. And Xander has already broken half the rules in the book."

Xander rolled her eyes; "I'm not a slayer, so I doubt those rules would have done me any good. I'm so going to write my own guide to demon hunting."

"Oh?" Giles said.

"Uh-uh. The first rule will be: Do Not Die."

Giles snorted in amusement, "That I hope would be given"

Xander childishly stuck her tongue at the older man.

"What about my case? What's wrong with my case." Buffy asked.

Giles ignored the blond slayer and began talking to Kendra as he walked way with her.

"Get a load of She-Giles." Buffy muttered. "Bet, Giles wishes I was a book geek."

"Giles is enough of geek for all of us." Xander said.

"Did you see they were vibing?" Buffy asked as she rolled her eyes, "Volume six, ha, ha,ha" she mocked.

Xander touched Buffy's arm stopping her, "Giles can't replace you, Buffy. Your...Buffy!" Xander said somewhat lamely. "You'll always be his favorite." Xander tried not to hiss out the words, guess she still wasn't over being abandoned but father-figure in the _'Before'._

"I wonder if it would be so bad to be replaced I mean."

Xander frowned, she threw her arm over Buffy's shoulders as they then continued toward the library, "Trust me, no one replace you."

"I don't know, I mean I could say, ' Kendra go slay! I'm going to Disneyland.'"

Buffy elbowed Xander in the ribs lightly, "Ok, I get it. But maybe I could do other stuff. Career Day stuff. Actually have a normal life."

"We'd actually have to be normal to do that." Xander said but it didn't get the smile she had been hoping for. "Look I need to go find Willow, I gotta ask her something. I'll meet you at the Career booths later." Xander took off before Buffy could stop her.

***

Willow regretted that she ever agreed to take this part of Xander's plan as she sat on the steps of Buffy's basement, wondering if Cordelia really was a clueless as she liked to pretend to be, because really she knew that assassins were after Buffy. So, why in the world would she invite a strange person into Buffy's house? The better question though was how did _Xander_ know an assassin would come to Buffy's house? Though Willow had long since stopped asking how Xander knew anything that she did. It was better for her peace of mind.

"Why are you just sitting?" Cordelia asked from her spot leaning against the washing machine, "Why aren't you thinking of a plan to get me out of here?"

"Why do I have to think of a plan to get us out of here? You are smart too, when you chose to use your head. And unlike me, you are devious so I think you could stand to offer up idea or two, Cordy!" Willow snapped her temper fraying under the stress.

Cordelia gaped at Willow. She had never heard the red-head sound so sharp with anyone -well other then Xander when she was being ultra boneheaded.

"You-you mega brain Rosenburg- thinks, I'm smart?" Cordelia asked shyly, not thinking of their predicament for the moment.

Willow blushed, most of her courage gone with her anger but still said, "Well, yeah, you have to be organized to do and handle everything like you do, and besides no one who could match wits with Xander on a regular basis could ever be considered slow."

Cordelia stood from where she had been leaning on the washer and begun advance on the shy red head in almost a predatory fashion. Willow's eyes widened as she watched the other girl get closer. Cordelia asked, coyly when almost all the distance had disappeared, "So, you think I'm witty." She paused long enough to crouch and drape an arm over Willow's shoulder, "What else do you think about me, mmm?"

Willow was stuttering and trying her best to reply when Cordelia looped her other arm over Willow's other shoulder, "Oh!" Willow looked down at the floor, "You have very pretty hair, so dark...mine's so bright and ugly."

Cordelia drew back shocked, "What are you talking about? You have gorgeous hair! I know women who pay a fortune for treatments to get hair that looks only half as good as what you have naturally-you just could use some styling and a bit of a cut help what you were born with and you'd shine!"

Willow giggled, "Oh, Cordy, don't ever change." She whispered and leaned forward just enough to touch her lips together. Drawing back she said, "You are glorious, absolutely glorious in every way. And yes, even in the way you tell people the truth, so help you and them."

Cordelia's eyes grew hot at the praise. Being praised for being herself, faults and all, was an incredible aphrodisiac. She pushed forward slanting her lips across the smiling ones below her own. The crash against the door startled them both out of the lustful daze they had about fell into.

Willow pulled back, "We have to get out of here!"

Cordelia nodded.

***

Xander and Buffy looked at the different Career Day booths. Thinking they should put in an appearance to keep the Troll off their backs. Buffy wanted to check out the law enforcement booth. Buffy nudged Xander when she noticed the brown haired boy she had slammed into a locker a yesterday staring at them, "Who's that?"

"Who's who?" xander asked, noticing that while there were many career booths, there wasn't a career criminal booth. To which Xander thought was just unfair, _I mean why put that down if they don't even have a booth to represent it?_

"Him." Buffy discretely pointed out Oz.

"Oh, him," Xander said as the guy in question got up and started to walk toward them, "He's Oz, I think Willow said that he was interviewed the same time she was for the computer programing program?"

"Really? Wonder what he's coming over here for? It's not like either of us were interviewed for the brainy-stuff."

"I dunno, how bout we ask him when he gets here?" Xander wisecracked, causing Buffy to smacked her on the shoulder.

"Hey." Oz said when he got close enough to be heard in the busy room, "So, I know I've seen you both of you hanging around Willow-either of you know if she is around? I wanted to know what she decided."

Xander looked irked, "Sheesh, what is it with people asking me what others are doing and thinking lately? Do I look like I have a pipeline into their heads?"

Oz blinked and Buffy giggled as Xander started to scowl.

"Chill Xan, you're going to scare the student body with that face," Buffy said with a smile. Xander took the high road and stuck her tongue out at the blonde. Buffy didn't look impressed.

"Xander! God, when are you going to grow up? I mean don't you have any ambition at all?"

"Oh, yeah, E-flat diminished ninth." Oz piped up. Xander and Buffy turned and looked at him with 'huh' face. Oz seeing the look chose to elaborate, "Well, the E-flat is doable, but the diminished ninth, y'know it's a man's chord. You could lose a finger."

Xander nodded pretending to understand as Buffy signed the sign-up sheet attached to the clipboard for the law enforcement booth. Xander looked around and saw Amy and Johnathan standing at a nearby booth and waved to them. They waved back but the recruiter for the booth regained their attention.

"You know, Buff, Oz here is the one who helped us win the talent show last year."

"Oh, how?"

"He's a music maker and made the music for the song we sung."

Buffy looked over at Oz, "Really? That was cool."

Oz shrugged, "Xander already had the music in her head. I just helped bring it out so others could hear it."

"Okay, listen up," the red head police woman at the law enforcement booth said, "answer when I call your name," she paused looking at her clipboard before looking around, "Buffy Summers." Buffy raised her hand and the woman calmly put down the clipboard down and quickly pulled her holster. Buffy was surprised at how strong the woman was and was finding it a struggle to keep the weapon in the air. She flinched as it went off. Buffy did what to the woman in the gut causing the red head policewoman to drop the gun onto the floor as she doubled over falling floor.

Panic set into the crowd in the hall. Xander tried to keep people out of the policewoman and Buffy's path. Xander looked over at Amy and Jonathan and saw they seemed to be frozen in fear. Xander rushed over to them just as Buffy shouted, "GET DOWN!"

Xander didn't even think as she tackled Johnathan to the ground and looked up when Oz yelled out, "LOOK OUT!"

Oz shoved Amy to the floor as Buffy ran past them and Oz suddenly fell to the floor holding his arm. They all watched as Buffy fought the woman knocking her gun away and her to the ground, she pulled a small gun from her ankle holster and pointed it at Buffy. When suddenly Kendra appeared and knocked the gun from her hand. Standing side by side the two Slayers adopted similar fighting stances. The other woman slowly backed up, pulling s small blade from under her sleeve and grabbed a nearby blond boy and dragged him down the hall. Half way down the hall she dropped him and made a dash for the door. Kendra didn't hesitate and gave chase.

Xander looked down at where she had pinned Johnathan to the floor, "You alright, Jono?"

Johnathan looked a bit dazed but smiled, "I'm just fine!"

Xander looked confused at the cheery tone then realized she was practically lying on top of him. Xander glared, "I know what you're thinking. Stop thinking it." She told him getting off of him.

Buffy rushed over to Oz and Amy, "Are you alright?" She asked as she knelt next to them.

"Yeah," Amy whispered, "He saved me."

Johnathan crawled over to Amy and put his arm around her and looked down at Oz from his position of half laying in Amy's lap, before saying, "Thank you."

"How is he?"

Amy glared at the Slayer for asking such a stupid question, "Shot obviously!" Amy then looked down at Oz, "Are you okay?"

Looking up at the blonde girl and her dark haired boyfriend, Oz said wanly, "I... uh, I'm shot." He took his hand off the wound and looked at it then wished he hadn't, "It's odd and... uhm, very painful."

Buffy got up when Kendra came back, "She's gone." The other Slayer said with a shake of her head.

"W-was that part of the demonstration," the blond hostage asked as he walked up to them. Xander blinked and had to bite back a growl at how close _Andrew Wells_ was standing next to Jonathan.

 


	19. What's My Line pt.4

Drusilla sat on the bed behind Angel, where he was tied to the two end posts of the four-poster bed. She let a trickle of water, fall from the crystal pitcher she held over Angel's shoulder. It steamed and burned like acid when it made contact with Angel's skin causing him to jerk and scream.

"The kitten is tangled in yellow yarn, all tied up." Drusilla murmured into Angel's ear. She poured more water on to the dark vampire smiling when he hissed in pain, "My mummy ate lemons. Raw." Drusilla reached down over his shoulder and dragged her nails slowly up his chest causing him to whimper in pain as her nails gouged into the burn marks.

"She loved the way they made her mouth," she press a nail into a burn making it bleed some, "tingle," she brought her hand up and licked the blood covered nail moaning at the taste, "My poor prince, knows not what is to come. But thinks he does."

Trying not to jerk or scream whenever her questing fingers would run over, around or through the acid-like burns on his chest, Angel finally managed to grate out, "Dru." He then bite his lips to hold in screams of pain as she dribbled more holy water down his chest. It rolled down his chest etching a path of agony as it went.

"Past and present intertwine…my darling boy is _swayed._ As the kitten plays godly games."

Angel shivered in the after effects of intense pain and said in a heartfelt tone, "Dru, if only I could."

"Bite your tongue!" Drusilla hissed, "Howling and growling…no! She is not for you. Unworthy! You are." Drusilla dumped the rest of the holy water on him, "You…you burn so hotly for her but she doesn't see you...will never see you." Drusilla growled at him. Angel couldn't stop himself from screaming, he just hoped he could remember what Drusilla had said and could figure it out before he was dusted. He had the feeling there was more information there than there appeared at face value.

***

_Angel, Angel, it's all about Angel with her! Can we say, priorities?_ Xander thought with a snarl. She sat in Giles office with Kendra, who had picked up a crossbow. Buffy was carving a stake in the corner of the room.

"So, those others know you are de Slayer?" Kendra asked referring to Amy, who had walked into the library after Oz had been taken to the hospital.

"Yep." Buffy said as she shaved a sliver of wood off the stake.

"Did no one explain dey meaning of secret identity to you?"

"No, must be in the hand book along with the chapter on personality removal."

Kendra was holding the cross bow swung it around to face Buffy. Xander was sitting beside Buffy and was in the line of fire said, "Be careful with that thing!" Xander told her. She knew how touchy the trigger was on that crossbow.

"Please. I'm an expert in all weapons." Kendra scoffed, just as the cross bow jerked in her hands, Xander jumped off the desk just in time for the stake-arrow to crash into the lamp.

"Is everything alright in there, girls?" Giles voice floated to them from the main part of the library.

"Yeah, it's okay, we're all safe now- Kendra killed the bad lamp." Buffy yelled back.

"A little thick with the sarcasm there, don't you think, Buff? Besides it's not like you never broke any furniture before." Xander said earning her a glare as she sat back down on the desk. Buffy just glared at other Slayer in answer.

"Sorry! Dis, uh, trigger mechanism is different from the ones I'm use to." Kendra said defensively as she gently put down the weapon, "Perhaps when this is over you can, uh, show me how to work it."

"Actually," Buffy said making a face at that idea, "I was thinking when this was over is prime pineapple pizza and teen video movie fest time. Hmmm, possibly something from the Ringwald oeuvre."

Xander groaned, she hated teen flicks. Kendra just looked confused as she picked up a stake and started to play with it. Buffy made like she should duck every time the point was in her direction and Xander glared at her.

"You're life is very different from mine." Kendra said, softly.

Buffy stopped miming defense moves to got up to sit by Xander on the desk picking up another stake to carve while asking, "What you mean the part where I actually have one? Yeah, I guess it would be."

Xander swatted Buffy on the back of her head, and when the blonde turned an incensed glare at Xander, the brunette pointed at the young black woman then to her ear. Buffy sighed; she got the point and would actually listen.

"De tings you do and have, I was taught distract me from me calling. Friends, school…even family."

Xander growled lowly and Buffy stilled at the words looking up from her stake, "Even family?"

Kendra flickered a look up at the other girls but then became engrossed in her examination of the stake she was holding but replied, "My parents, dey sent me to my watcher when I was very young."

"How young?" Buffy asked.

Kendra juggled her stake a bit more but answer the question, "I don't remember them actually," she looked at them then away, "I've seen pictures. But, uh, dat's how important de calling is taken by my people. My modder and fadder gave me to my watcher because they believe dey were doing de right ting for me and de world." Kendra put down the stake she had been using as shield for most of the conversation and looked around she saw the angry look on Xander's face and the sympathy pouring off Buffy, "Please, I don't feel sorry for myself, so why should you?"

"It just sounds lonely," Xander said softly not trusting herself to start screaming at the unfairness of it. Kendra turned to look at the dark haired girl, "Why do you fight with de Slayer? You're a demon, aren't you?"

Xander shrugged and looked away, "I-I don't know what I am any more, I started out as human - and a male" that caused Kendra's eyes to widen, "But now -I don't know. And why do I fight with Buffy?  Because I can. It's really all I know," Xander told them with a faraway look in her eyes that made Buffy wonder where Xander had gone in her own head. Xander looked back to Kendra, "Because she's my friend, that much I do know at least."

"And that's all that matters, Xan." Buffy said to Xander with a smile. Xander smiled back at her.

"Emotions are a weakness - that is was I was taught." Kendra said.

"Kendra, emotions can make you stronger give you strength you would have other wise." Xander started and Buffy finished, "Yeah, I know my emotions give me power. They're total assets to me!"

Xander sighed at that statement, it hadn't been what she meant as Kendra looked dubious, "Maybe for you," the other Slayer said, "but I would prefer to keep an even mind.'

"Oh."Buffy said.

"Yeah," Xander muttered in agreement.

"What?" Kendra asked.

"Oh, nothing. It just explains everything. Like when we were fighting. You were amazing! You're technique is flawless, better than..um, mine actually."

Kendra looked smug, "Ah know." She stopped looking smug when Buffy continued, "Still I would've kicked your butt in the end, and d'ya wanna know why?" Kendra nodded but looked skeptical, "It all goes back to emotion, well that and imagination. See you're good, really good, but power and skill alone isn't enough, you need to be able to improvise -go with the flow- take whatever is thrown at you and then send it back with bells on."

Kendra looked confused and a little lost so, Xander took pity on her, "What Buffy is trying to say is that you have potential but you need to learn how to use it creatively."

"Potential! I could wipe de floor with you." Kendra said stepping into a fighting stance.

"And that would be anger." Xander said.

"What?" Asked Kendra.

"That emotion you're feeling," Xander said, "besides I could take both of you and not break a sweat." Xander smirked at the two Slayers. Who both turned dark glares and almost in unison stepped toward Xander. Xander realized that perhaps that hadn't been the best thing to say. _Distract. I have to distract them before they pummel me…wait._ Xander thought, "Willie!"

Buffy who was ready to pound Xander in to mush froze mid-step, she knew that tone of voice it was Xander's `I can't believe I didn't think of that before' tone. "What?" Buffy asked her.

"Willie has a reputation of not telling everything he knows, " Xander said with a dark smile, "unless asked the proper way."

"Who?" Kendra asked.

"The sleaziod in that bar you nearly decked." Buffy told her.

"You tink he might help us?"

Buffy grinned, "I tink we might make him," she said aping Kendra accent causing Xander to groan and say, "No accents for you, please Buffy!"

 ***

Drusilla knelt between Angel's spread apart legs and held another small crystal pitcher above his badly burnt chest, "Say _`Uncle',"_ she blinked and lower the pitcher slightly, "that's right you killed my uncle."

Spike leaned against the door frame, watching as Dru tortured Angel with holy water, "That's it then," he said suddenly pushing away from the door as much as he liked watching Dru doing her thing it was time, "Off to church then."

"It makes such lovely green colors." Drusilla said standing up and going over to get Miss Edith off of the dresser, ""Don't you think so, break of morning?" She said to the doll.

Spike snorted, "He'll be dead soon enough. I've never been one for the pre-show, you know."

Angel chuckled darkly, "Too bad that what she likes best as I recall. The way she touched me just now, I can tell when our Dru's not satisfied."

"Shut up." Spike said coldly.

A cunning look crossed Angel's features, "Or maybe…it's another brunette, you're on fire for… and not our dear girl, mmm?"

Spike blinked and stepped back, "Wot?"

"Yeah, maybe your sweet dark plum isn't the flavor you hanker after lately? Maybe you want something with a lot more kick?"

"I oughtta kick you," Spike muttered, "Shut up!" Spike strode forward regaining the ground he had retreated and then some, "Just keep your hole shut!"

"That's it isn't, Spike? You want that extra zest, the extra oomph; you'd get from something exotic like-" Spike snapped a hand around Angel's throat cutting off his power of speech.

"I said, SHUT UP!!" Spike shouted then in a calmer tone, "I have no problem at all gagging you grandsire, it's your blood I need not your bloody lip." Dragging Angel up by his hold on the other vampire's throat, he quickly yanked on the end of one of the ropes releasing one of Angel's arms. Spike let Angel go suddenly causing the vampire to sway and grab the bedpost to keep his balance.

Drusilla wandered back holding Miss Edith, she snuggled up to Spike and glared at Angel, "Shhh!" she said holding a finger to her lips, "Bad dog! You'll give the game away. Spike, its time. Grab a bag we have to go. My moon is rising! We mustn't be caught in the taxi!"

Spike snarled at Angel, who weakly glared back, "Hear that Angelus? It's my Dru's time and you never argue when a lady is expecting. To bad you won't be around for the blessed event, eh?"

Spike then pushed Dru into Angel and used her to push Angel into the post, pinning Dru between them Spike kissed Dru passionately.

"Yeah, that's so convincing." Angel muttered uncomfortable at the passion he could see his childe and granchilde still had for each other. Spike slammed a fist in to Angel's ribs without letting go of Drusilla. "You know what they say about denial, right Spike." Angel said silkily trying not to grunt in pain.

"What?" Spike asked when he finally pulled away from his sire's embrace, "That it's wide and wet for six months of the year?"

Angel didn't even try to hide that groan of pain. "What does Xan-" Angel started but was cut off when Spike's fist slammed into his face, knocking Angel's head into the bedpost dazing him.

"Enough. It's time to go." Spike announced. Bending over and catching Angel in the stomach and lifting him off the ground. When Spike turned he made sure to slam the dark vampire's head in to the bedpost again - hard. Spike then led the way out with Dru leaning on his arm on one side and Angel draped over the other shoulder like a sack of meal.

***

"You know, I get the feeling you don't trust your old pal, Willie." The bartender said as they walked down the stairs inside the church, he had led the two most dangerous girls in town deeper into it.

Xander rolled her eyes and gave him a shove causing him to stumble, "Now why ever would you think that?

Willie sighed, "Don't ever let it be said your friend Willie, don't come through in a pinch."

As they rounded the corner, Xander and Buffy stopped in surprise. The red headed policewoman stood there, dressed in a long black robe. There was a big male vampire with her. Both Xander and Buffy took a step back and almost ran into another minion and a mild mannered looking man wearing glasses. Xander shuddered slightly as she remembered this was the bug man.

Willie leaned over to Xander, "See you for the Thursday night poker game. You know…if you survive."

"You're a weasel, you know that right, Willie?" Xander told him.

"Poker game?" Buffy asked confused and to get her mind off the way things were going for a moment.

Xander sighed, "I'll tell you later…if we survive."

***

Spike walked down the aisle of the church, he looked around as he swung a burning incense censer with black-gloved hands. There was an organ on in a loft near the back entrance of the church, the posts holding up the loft elegantly carved with cherubs. That he vowed to stay far away from. No way was he ending up in that wheelchair!

"Eligor. I name thee. Bringer of war, pisonors, pariahs, grant thy obscenity."

He turned back to the altar, where Angel and Drusilla were both strapped together to a chain that hung from the ceiling.

"Eligor, wretched master of decay, bring your black medicine." Spike intoned the chant.

_"Black medicine."_ Drusilla repeated dreamily. Spike walked back over to the altar and set the censer down, and then picked up the Da Luc cross.

"Come," he held the cross upside down, "restore your most impious, murderous child!"

_"Murderous child."_

Spike grabbed the downward point of the cross with his other hand and yanked down pulling out a dagger he tossed the rest of the cross onto the altar.

"From the blood of the sire, she is risen. From the blood of the sire she shall _rise again!"_ Spike said as he walked over to  the tied up Angel. He picked up Drusilla's left hand and raises it to Angel's right, which is tied to the chain Drusilla clasps it. With one swift stroke Spike stabbed the blade through both of their hands. Angel screams in pain as a blindingly bright pinkish-white light emanates from their wounds. A pulse of energy spreads out and the light dies down. Angel's strength begins to ebb from him into Drusilla, and she drooped backwards as she moaned in pleasure feeling her sire's energy flow into her.

"It's payday, pal!" Willie said as the red head and bug man reached dragged a girl in to the room with the help of a minion.

"Have you gone mental!" Spike hissed,"Bringing _them_ here!" He walked toward them.

"You said you wanted the Slayer and I want extra for the Hyena."

Spike sighed and shook his head, "After you moron, after Dru was well. And I wanted her dead!" He exclaimed.

Willie looked confused, "Which one?"

"Does it matter?" Spike growled.

Buffy's attention was riveted on the two vampires locked together, "Angel," She whispered.

Hearing the soft whisper Spike made a disgusted face and turned to Xander and asked, "Yeah, and how'd I know that would be the first thing she'd say?"

Xander only shrugged carelessly in reply. Turning back to Buffy, he continued in an overly affable voice, "I know ducks, it bugs me too seeing him that way. But ya know, in another five minutes it won't be a problem. Angel will be dead, so I forebear."

Buffy was just getting angrier and angier as Spike spoke but said nothing. Spike's gaze was fixed on a failing Angel and a rejuvenating Drusilla. Spike then jostled Buffy, "Hey don't feel too bad for Angel, he's got something you don't have."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Buffy asked angrily, finally pushed far enough to do something other than to stare at her dying boyfriend.

"Five minutes. Patrice!"

Xander had enough. Her fist flew unerringly straight into Spike's face from her hip. She connected hard and he stumbled back dazed. There was a commotion off to the side but Xander knew better than to take her eyes off Spike during a fight.

 ***

Outside, in front of the church, Giles stood with the rest of the Scooby gang. He had tried to get Kendra to wait for the rest of them. But it seemed she had already been influenced by Buffy.

"Amy, Jonathan, it would be best if you waited here. If we don't come out in a half hour, use your magic and destroy the church. Spike and Drusilla must not be allowed to escape." Giles then turned to Willow and Cordelia who stood closely together, "Are you sure."

"Yes, Giles," Willow said, "we'll take care of the buggy guy."

"Yeah, I think we deserve some payback!" Cordelia growled remembering how that thing had scared her and Willow before they had escaped the basement of the Summers home. Giles nodded at he two girls and the three of them entered the church leaving Amy and Jonathan talking softly about what spells to use to destroy the church with if they had too.

***

Kendra appeared then in Xander's line of sight as she dusted a vampire then she did a back flip and was out of it. Xander guessed she went to help Buffy, who in the mean time had slammed a foot into the red head's knee and knocked away her gun.

"Buffy, can you and Kendra take care of the assassins while if I handle Spike?" Xander yelled as she advanced on the recovering blond vampire.

"You got, Xan!"

"Yes, Xander."

The two replies floated to her as their owners moved farther away as they fought their own battles. Spike by this time had almost fully recovered from Xander's hit. Spike growled out, "So you wanna dance, pet?"

Xander smirked, "I think I can fit you on my dance card. Shall we?"

Spike lashed out a lightning fast punch to Xander's stomach and she doubled over gasping for breath. She had to take a few steps back on order to do it as Spike laughed.

"Have I left you breathless then, pet? How flattering." He said with a grin. Xander forced herself to straighten and growled. She stepped forward and tried to kick him, but he caught her foot and pushed it farther upwards. Totally unbalanced, she fell forward and hit the ground hard.

"Really, luv," Spike mocked her, "I excepted better than this. But well, this is just pitiful." Spike didn't actually want to fight Xander, he just wanted to go get Dru and get the hell out of Sunnydale. But appearances were everything so, what could he do? He'd only gone a few steps towards his sire when Xander made the point moot. Xander hadn't even bothered to return his taunts, she just surged off the floor in a rush that took him completely by off guard. He didn't have time to put up defense, hell he almost hadn't seen her move she had been that fast. Her rush had taken his legs out from under him making him hit the ground hard. Stunned he lay there as she swarmed him and did her best to find a way to pin him. Even as dazed as he was, Spike could appreciate the position he was in.

"Why luv, I thought we were fighting,” he slurred trying for lascivious but not quite managing it.

Xander snarled in order to hold back a laugh and head butted him for good measure. Glancing around for something to she might be able to secure him with.

Willow and Cordelia had sat and baited their trap perfectly. After luring the bug man over to their chosen battle grounds they made short work stomping him into bits when he got ensnared in the glue they had laid down. Kendra was a dervish as she laid waste to the minions and the ones who were lucky enough to get past her, Giles got with his crossbow. As Buffy took out the false policewoman. Really, once you got the guns away from the assassin - normal woman against super powered girl - it was no contest.

Willie, paused as he slipped out of the church, he grabbed one of the torches on the wall and threw it on to a nearby pile of clothes. Thinking he could get rid of both the do-gooders and the vampires that were his major headaches at the moment. As he ran out the door, the fire from the burning clothes quickly spread through the church.

Buffy made a beeline for Angel and Drusilla, the moment she could, she immediately withdrew the dagger out of their bound hands and untied them fro each other. As soon as she was free Drusilla hit Buffy, stunning the Slayer, allowing Drusilla time to scurry into a corner and hide. Seeing Buffy go down, even for a minute caused Xander to commit the biggest faux pas in a fight you could.

Xander got distracted. Spike noticed and promptly took advantage he reversed their positions quickly and said, "Are you even trying? I know you can do better than this - in fact I have it on tape."

Xander growled, "On tape? What? Are you my stalker now?" But Spike had made sure he had leverage and she couldn't move, "Get off me!" She said through gritted teeth.

Spike almost lost his hold when he laughed, "Are you mad? You think because we chat at your window that I'll be a gentleman and let you have the upper hand in a fight? Sorry, pet, you have to _earn_ it. Vampire here, luv, or did you forget?"

"I'll be happy to see you dust, Spike!" Xander hissed at him trying to buck him off her.

"Oh, now that's just mean." Spike pulled back his fist and hit her, then leaned down into her face, "I think I _like_ you mean."

Xander didn't know what she wanted to do more - scream her head off or break into full-fledge hyena cackling she was so frustrated, angry, and betrayed feeling. Something had to give. Spike punched her again in the face making her head bounce off the stone floor of the church. _Maybe that's what's going to give_ , she thought muzzily as it happened again. She wasn't going to stand for this, so she let a bit of the Hyena rise to the surface.

Xander growled, her eyes glowing eerily green, "How's this for mean!" Spike had just now moved into the perfect position Xander brought her knee up hard…hitting a very delicate place. It was the weakness all males shared. It was almost comical the look on the blond vampire's face as he rolled off of her. Xander got to her feet and Spike followed, slowly.

"And if that's not mean enough," Xander did a spin kick catching Spike in the chest causing him to slam into a support beam with small angels carved on it. It creaked ominously. Spike bounced away from the beam and back at Xander, "We can always serve up more."

Spike turned grabbing Xander and slamming her bodily into the same beam support beam, weakening it some more Spike pulled her back and did it again and again. He stopped when he heard something flying through the air towards them from behind. He lunged to the side, bringing Xander with him. Spike saw the censer crash though the already weakened support beam breaking it in half. He looked up and realized they were under the loft that held the organ. The same one that crippled him in the `Before' and trapped him in that bloody wheelchair.

Xander saw the fear in Spike's eyes. She too looked up and saw where they where. Knowing she was about to do something really stupid she smiled at Spike then put both of her hands on his chest and shoved him hard enough that he went sparling out from under the loft. He landed on his ass, slightly stunned a few feet away. With that the support beam broken the other couldn't hold the uneven weight. Xander knew she didn't have time to get out of the way. She put her arms over her head and prayed.

The last thing she heard was three different voices screaming her name, very thing went dark as the organ, it's pipes and the whole loft came down on top of her.

 


	20. What's My Line pt.5

Buffy and Giles held a weakened Angel between them as they made their way out of the burning building. The ominous creaking caused them to pause and look back where they saw Xander push Spike away from her as the organ came crashing down. Angel and Spike echoed Buffy’s scream of shock. Giles looked on the scene with dismay and sorrow. Buffy didn’t want to believe…She looked over at Spike, who was sitting on the floor in what, if he had been human, would be shock.

Spike looked back at them, “She pushed me and then it came down. Why would…it was suppose… I don’t…” Spike blinked and shook himself. He got up muttering, “Dru, I got to find Dru. Make sure all this wasn’t for nothing.” He began to move away from the trio of Xander’s friends who were still staring horrified at the spot where she was buried.

“What - you want to join her?” He barked at them, “Get out of here, the roof is going to come down any minute!”

Galvanized into motion by his harsh yell, Buffy and Giles again spun around and resumed their interrupted exit. Spike wasn’t far behind them with his own burden of Drusilla.

Willow watched as Buffy And Giles came out carrying Angel between them. Kendra had come out of the church just moments before. Willow looked behind them waiting for Xander to appear. When she didn’t she asked, “Where is Xander?” in a small voice.

Buffy, who could no longer hold back her sob of grief, just shook her head. Angel said nothing but looked upset and Giles…

In that moment Willow understood. Her scream of Xander’s named sounded like a wild animals roar of pain and rage. She tried to run into the now collapsing church, but was grabbed around the waist by Kendra, who hissed harshly but not without sympathy into Willow’s ear, “Do you want her sacrifice to be in vain?”

Spike used Red’s grief as a distraction and slipped away with Drusilla, but not before he saw the would-be witch fall into the arms of the Cheerleader. He wished he could offer his condolences but knew he couldn’t. Not with Drusilla hanging off of him, and it wasn’t like they would believe him anyway even if he did. But he knew how they were feeling and shared their pain, even if they never knew or understood why.

Dru caressed his cheek and whispered softly, “Don’t fret, my shinning one, the Kitten still as many lives yet to live.” To this Spike could only blink.

***

In her realm of non-existence Dawn Summers let out a yowl of disbelief. She looked over to her one companion. The white robed figure, just shrugged at her unasked question. Dawn growled in annoyance at the figure and continued to watch the drama in the SunnyDale unfold.

***

The next morning dawned and the world was a darker place. The sun shone and the planet continued to turn but for some, the laughter was gone. Cordelia sat next to Willow who hadn’t spoken a word all morning. It was now after lunch and the redhead’s silence was beginning to worry her. Willow had laid her head on Cordelia’s shoulder and her hand had come up to stroke the bright red locks, offering a silent comfort. Buffy had just returned from walking Kendra to her cab and now sat cuddled next to Angel.

It was then a thought occurred to Cordelia, “Has anyone told Xan’s mom?” Asking the one question no one wanted to deal with. To do so would make everything so final.

Silence ensued.

“I’ll take that as a no, then.” Cordelia muttered. She, herself still couldn’t believe her favorite verbal sparring partner was…Cordelia continued to stroke her girlfriend’s hair silently.

Angel sighed sadly then, “She will be missed.” He said it simply with understated pathos but Cordelia still tossed him a scorn filled look.

“Jeez, could you be any more banal? Or state the obvious much? Hello! Of course she will be missed you moron, she was our friend!”

Angel winced at Cordelia’s vicious verbal lashing and Buffy gathered him protectively closer in a hug when, “Who’ll be missed?” Rang out in an achingly familiar voice. Causing all three girls to jump up and look at who was standing by the doors of the library.

“Why are you all acting as if someone died?” the speaker continued in a confused tone.

Act as one the three other girls rushed to the speaker, “Ow…come on…ow! Watch the ribs they’re not fully healed yet!”

Willow glared balefully, “Don’t ever do that again, Xander!”

“Missed me did you?” Xander asked with what would have been a smirk, but Buffy choose that moment to squeeze Xander a bit hard in the group hug, so it came out more of a squeak.

Angel then asked, “Why aren’t you dead?”

The other three girls reprimanded him with, “Angel!!!”

“Nice to know you care, Deadboy.” Xander said sarcastically.

Giles cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention, “Yes, well, as uncouth as Angel’s statement was…How did you survive Xander?”

“Well, you know…”she said scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment. This wasn’t going to be her finest hour that was for certain. She thought back to what Spike had told her about what he had found when he had finished getting Dru settled after all was done. How things had been form his point of view...

###FlashBack###

_Spike wandered up to the devastated building, a few hours before dawn, and felt an unaccustomed tightness in his chest He didn’t know why she had done it. Why she had saved him from what, ultimately, was his own doing. But he knew she deserved better than to be left among the rubble for the carrion eaters in this town. Her mother deserved to bury her daughter, and not be left wondering._

_The gloomy thoughts occupying his mind didn’t stop him from being alert and ready in case the unstable structure shifted again. Keeping the level of vigilance he needed alongside those gloomy thoughts almost made him miss it though. It was…cocking his head he listened hard and yes; there was something – the slightest of sounds. The soft sound was barely audible to his extended vampire senses. It didn’t get much louder as Spike got closer to where the organ had crashed into the floor, but that was definitely where it was coming from, now all Spike had to do was figure out exactly what it was he was hearing…._

_Thump-thump._

_He couldn’t quite make-up his mind, so he started to clear some of the rumble over where he figured Xander would be while he kept trying to identify it._

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

_But then, as he kept working the sound got clearer – thump-thump - and clearer- thump-thump – it was a heartbeat! Weak and slow, sure, but nonetheless a heartbeat. That could only mean one thing…Xander was alive! He dug faster, slinging pieces of debris everywhere until he found dark locks of hair. He stroked the exposed tresses once with a shaking hand and then continued to remove the rest of the debris from atop her._ _She was in bad shape. Unconscious. He didn’t know whether it was from how long she had been buried, or if she had been hit by something during the collapse of the church, but since she was still breathing and her heart was beating he had some hope. Shifting torn clothing ad peering through rips, Spike was able to ascertain that Xander had numerous cuts and abrasions, extensive bruising and he thought he ankle might be broken._

_Thankfully she’d avoided getting hit with the edge of the organ like he had in the ‘Before’ and her spine was intact, but he winced at the extensive bruising, he was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be getting up and walking anytime soon regardless. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Spike checked the last thing he could think of – blood – and nearly fell over in his relief when he didn’t smell anymore than he had seen for the most part. He’d been terrified she’d been stabbed or something and that there was a huge pool of the precious essence where he couldn’t see, or that he would smell the difference in the scent that happened to humans when the blood from internal injuries would pool inside them._

_Now that he knew it was safe to move her, Spike bent down to pick her up and one of the tears that had been building up in his eyes from the combination of dust and emotion fell. He watched as if spell bound as it twinkled in the moonlight and finally splashed on the corner of Xander’s dry and cracked mouth. Her lips twitched and then parted as her small pink tongue snaked out to soak up the small drop of moisture. Xander slowly opened her eyes and looked around as blond hair filled her vision, “Spike,” she croaked out._

_"Yeah, pet.”_

_Xander smirked a bit, “Somehow I knew it would be you, that you would be the one to come back.”_

_Spike stopped Xander when she tried to move. “Don’t you’re hurt, badly at that.”_

_Xander barely had the strength to glare at him, but still tried to move anyway. At the ill-considered move she promptly fell back with a cry of pain._

_“Right,” Spike said all business like, “I’m thinking the hospital.”_

_Xander sent him a dirty look as he then said, “Don’t be looking at me like that, pet. I didn’t ask you to volunteer to jump in my place – I just want to make sure it’s not going to haunt you for the rest of your life –or mine either.”_

_"_ _Huh-uh, yeah, I’ll just go to the place where my mom works and say ‘Oh, I’m fine. Just had an organ dropped on me!’ Somehow I think that will cause a few problems for me.” Xander snarled softly, but the pain in her voice was all too clear to Spike._

_"Then how…what…what will help you?” Spike asked._

_"Nothing, just stay with me. I'll heal."_

_Spike nodded and settled down beside her._

_***_

_A few hours later Xander and Spike walked out of the ruins of the church Spike couldn’t stop staring at Xander in her demon form. He couldn’t help himself when he said, “So, fur, huh, pet…” his voice as smarmy as he could get it to hide his intrigue. Xander only rolled her eyes at the tone and bared her fangs at him._

_“Oh, pet! What big teeth you have…”_

_Xander stumbled and choked at the remark, “You are nothing like Little Red Riding Hood. Your coat’s the wrong color for one.”_

_Spike mock pouted for a few seconds then grimaced, “Well, it’s not like I’m lying in wait to eat you either, so I’m hardly the wolf.” He then bumped her hip with his own, “Just couldn’t resist. You’re not offended are you?”_

_Xander smirked, a decidedly odd looking expression on her altered face and said, “Nah, it was funny as long as you don’t get any ideas about stroking my fur. I can handle the jokes.”_

_T_ _here were so many things Spike could have said to that and none of them could be or should be said in polite company. He watched as the girl’s form morphed and the Xander he was more familiar with stood before him. T_ _hey walked on slowly, not having anywhere in particular to be when Spike thought of something else, “Xan, how d’ya plan on explaining you being in tip top shape after your friends saw you buried alive?”_

_She shrugged, “I’ll just say…” “I’ll just tell them something barely plausible and hope SunnyDale syndrome takes care of the rest.”_

_"Can you really be that comfortable duping your friends that way?”_

“…it really wasn’t as bad as it looked. Besides the ole’Harris luck kicked in, turns out the church had hard wood floors and they buckled under all the weight. I ended up in the basement, I think. Lucky for me, there was an entrance to the sewers down there. It took me most of the night to find my way out ”

Xander could only blink as the others nodded and accepted the explanation without protest. Man, that was the Hellmouth for ya, that was such a lame excuse would be considered ‘normal’. She had been so right in her prediction to Spike it just wasn’t funny.

 

 


	21. Some People Never Learn

A week after the whole church falling in on top of Xander fiasco…

Angel watched as his grandchilde scaled the side Harris house and using the many hand holds easily with their type of agility. _Damn it! There he goes again_ … _What in the hell were the two of them up to now?_ Tonight Angel decided he was going to find out. Using every stealth trick he had learned during his long life, Angel was able to get close to the house and halfway up the wall to a good vantage point. From where he had chosen, he was clearly able to see and hear Spike where he was perched on the roof as well as Xander as she leaned out of her window. Wanting to miss nothing, he shifted into game face in order to enhance his sight and hearing. The banter between the two nearly had him cutting his lip with his own fangs as his jaw dropped open.

“Tell the truth pet, and I said it then too, you wanted to tie me up. Because of that bondage kink you have.”

“And as I said then, I only tied you up because I was sleeping!”

“Yeah, like I would have bitten you then anyway.”

“Psshaw, you so would have! Don’t lie.”

Spike chuckled and said, “You’re right, I would have if I could have had the chance. You were, and still are, what was it you said then? Oh, yeah, very bitable. Moist and delicious even.”

Xander started to laugh, “What was it you called me again? A nummy treat?”

Spike rolled his eyes, “Could have been. And you’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

Xander poked her head farther out the window to look Spike dead in the eyes and then in a completely deadpan voice, asked, “Why on earth would I do that? When rehashing it like this is so much fun?” Xander sighed, “Were you really going to stake yourself that night?”

“Yeah, pet I was. I couldn’t see keeping on when I wasn’t even a proper vampire.”

“What?”

“Well, the bloody Initiative neutered me good and proper didn’t they? Pulled my teeth and made me the prey instead of the predator. After a hundred years of the other way around, it’s not an easy turn around to make.”

“But it couldn’t have been that bad, right?” Xander wondered.

Spike looked soberly at Xander and said, “Xan, luv, think about it for moment. Just think about being jammed into a little white cubicle, never knowing when your next meal was coming, if it was coming at all, or what sort of drugs may have been put in it. Then thinking that you escaped, only to find yourself trapped in a prison made of your body and mind. Being trained with aversion therapy like a bloody puppy.” Spike shuddered and Xander echoed it. Spike looked up into the star filled night sky, “If you can imagine that much, I think you can figure out the rest. In the beginning when all I could do was watch the lot of you hunt and kill…”

“I don’t think I ever got it in the ‘Before’, but now…I think I get it. Although Spike, you were never helpless you know. There were too many nights when I stayed awake wondering why you never whispered into the ears of some fledges or made a deal with some demons to have us killed.” Xander told him.

Spike huffed into his chest, “Well, you were the only one. The others soon lost all respect for me. Red used to use those big eyes of her’s to con me into translating things for her witchy stuff.” Spike leaned back against the roof silence of a moment then suddenly said, “You know, your being so cautious around me was the only thing that kept me even halfway sane for a long time – but truthfully it wasn’t necessary. I never would have contracted anyone to take you lot out, not then – it would have been dishonorable. If anyone was going to take you out, it was going to be me after I got that basted chip out!”

Xander blinked thoughtfully and that really was a total Spike way of thinking, “I guess that explains the many, many, many rants you made us listen too.” She sighed again a bit heavier this time as she leaned her head on the window frame, “I never really got you, you know. You always…You’ve never made any sense.” She muttered lowly.

Spike just shook his head, “If any thing I was an open book. What were the lines from that movie Dawn made us all the bloody time, oh…Love me, fear me, do as I say and I will be your slave…Yeah that’s it. Fit me to a bloody tee it does.” He looked slightly chagrined when he said in remembrance, “Giles used to bribe me with a decent cuppa and other tastes of home, just to get me to do the most ridiculous things…”

“That’s what I’m talking about” Xander said pointing an accusing finger at the blond vampire, “The way you were so…” She trailed off wondering if the thought still applied now?

“English?” Spike asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Arrgh! No! Human…” Xander whispered the last word.

“Oh,” Spike said involuntarily, he’d always been accused of being to human by other creatures of the night, but never ‘by’ a human. They always seemed too think he was more on the monster scale. Then again when you were having them as lunch there tended to be good reason for that he supposed. But this was the first time a human, even one with ‘extras’ of her own had stated he was…well, human. “I’ve heard it before from various demons but they don’t count, do they? You do though. You matter.” Spike was surprised to find he really did mean that.

“I matter? Why? You said it yourself, you wanted us all dead!”

“You matter because you would tell that gang of yours what they need to hear. You don’t take crap from anyone. Not even the bloody Slayer! If it needed to be said – you’d be the one to say it. No matter how much they didn’t want to hear it. It was that, I think that kept you lot fighting and winning at impossible odds.”

Angel shook off his game face. He didn’t need to hear anymore, and he was beyond confused. Seeing no reason to move yet, he just rested where he was already hidden and thought about what he’d just heard. Drusilla’s ramblings when she tortured him came back to him as he pondered. Unfortunely, he didn’t have a chance o sink too deeply into his brooding.

From out of nowhere a pair of hands grabbed and yanked at his ankles, making him flail for a moment then plummet like a stone to the ground below, “Ow!” Angel rubbed at the areas of his body where they had met the ground with some authority.

Spike looked over the edge at the noise and Xander’s head was peaking over beside his. When she saw what was going on below them she ducked back and hurriedly dragged Spike back with her.

Angel faintly heard Spike protest, “But Xan, pet, I wanna see what the Watcher and your mum do to Peaches.”

He didn’t hear Xander’s reply but the glee in the blond vampire’s voice made Angel very leery as he looked up to see Jessica Harris, who was had so unceremoniously yanked him down from his position and that she was accompanied by Buffy’s Watcher, Giles. “Ohh, boy!” He muttered to himself.

Jessica looked down at the young dark haired, very well styled hair at that, man who looked to be only a couple years older than her Xan’s dear William. He was very handsome, she thought, if you were into the caveman look with a side of kicked puppy.

“And you are?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Angel had never met Xander’s mother, but had seen her in passing. He could see the resemblance was more than skin deep. Xander was cunning, clever and when needed -down right mean. But as Angel looked into the older woman’s eyes, he knew from his many years of existence there were just some people who you just did not piss off. Their ways of revenge were just far too dangerous. Angel knew that this lady was in a league of her own. He tried very hard not to shudder visibly at the thought.

Giles cleared his throat, “This is Angel, Buffy’s boyfriend, I believe.”

“Mmm, well I should hope that he knows this is not Buffy’s house.” Jessica said.

Giles turned a penetrating gaze on the vampire, “Yes, I do believe we would like to know why you are here and just what you thought you were doing, Angel.” Giles’s tone was hard.

Angel stammered, Damn the man, no one could make him feel as much like an irresponsible ass as Giles could, well at least not since he was human and the only person then had been his own father.

“Err, Well, you see…” Dammit! He didn’t want to tell them that Xander was having delusional conversation with Spike. For some reason he was sure that wouldn’t go over well, but what ‘could’ he tell them? This looked really bad. Oh, hell, “ I was going to talk to Xander about something for Buffy, but I was afraid of waking her.” Okay that sounded plausible. Right?

Jesscia shook her head in annoyance at Angel, _‘It he’s going to lie…_ ’ “ Try again. And this time you might want to make it more believable.’

Angel frowned, the woman had all but called him a liar…which if you got technical, yeah, okay let’s try again, “Well I noticed that Xander has taken up with this really bad type. Buffy and I are getting worried.”

At that statement, Angel heard a small squeak from above and looked up in time to see Xander yank her head back inside her room. Spike then leaned out the window and made an obscene gesture at him.

“A bad type? Do you mean Xan’s Romeo, Will?”

Angel blinked, had the woman really called Spike, Will and Romeo in the same sentence? Wait a minute! Spike had been _inside_ the house! He looked over rather helplessly at Giles. Angel had no idea what to do here. It was obvious Spike had squirmed his way into both of the woman’s affections and that after listening to what he had heard that Xander liked him – What did Giles think of this?

“Giles,” Angel said plaintively, “You do know that ‘ _Spike’_ is ‘ _inside’_ the house, right now!”

“What!” Giles exclaimed, “Xander would never be so foolish…” But trailed off at Jessica’s glare, “I – I –mean …Explain Angel!”

“What are you yelling at me for? I was just telling you…” Something was then thrown from the upper story. It landed on Angel’s head with a cold, wet plop. He reached up and scraped off a wet wad of toilet paper. “Oh, real mature!” Angel yelled upwards, knowing that it could have been either of the two up there that could have done it.

“Well, it’s what you get for telling tales out of school, mate.” Spike’s voice floated down.

“Yeah, ya blabber mouth!” Xander added.

Jessica had raised a hand to her face to hide her grin, her shoulders shaking hard from holding in her laughter. Giles‘ lips were twitching at the corners themselves. Angel at this point was starting to get a bad feeling, “It wasn’t just water in the paper was it?” he asked already knowing the answer.

Giles shook his head from side to side and Jessica burst out into gales of merry laughter. Angel looked at the remnants of the wet paper still clinging to his hand when Xander’s voice called down from above, “Black is really a good color for you Angel, but I don’t know if I’d take it that far.”

India Ink, the paper had been soaked in _India_ _ink_! It was now smeared across his forehead and running down his face to drip off his chin and cheeks.

It was, Angel thought, time to make a strategic retreat. Angel quickly made his apologies to Jessica Harris, then even as her’s and Giles‘ laughter followed him, he slunk into the shadows. He thought meanly, _‘At least now Giles knows that Xander as been making nice with the enemy.’_ Angel wondered idly how she was going to talk her way out of that.

***

“I had to admit that was fun, pet. Didn’t even know you knew what India ink was let alone have any.”

Xander shrugged as she paced back and forth in her room and said distractedly, “You’d be surprised at how many spells and rituals call for it.”

Spike grinned, “Well, this should be interesting.”

“Interesting! Spike, Giles is going to freak and he’ll try and stake you! My mom will have a cow and ground me for the rest of my natural life! Giles is…” Xander broke off with a shudder, “Going to lecture me. You do remember a Giles lecture, don’t you!!!”

It was then when they heard Jessica call up to Xander telling her to come downstairs.

“Well, it’s been fun…”Spike said as he started towards the window, only to freeze when he heard Jessica call up, “Oh, and bring William with you…”

“She didn’t…”Spike started to say but stopped at the sight of Xander’s malicious smile. He nodded mostly to himself, “She did. Sod all.”

Xander led the way down stairs with Spike following meekly behind her. He really didn’t want to get on Jessica’s bad side. He really didn’t, he had the feeling she would be a nasty woman to cross and if she decided against him at this late a date, then she would end up turning Xan against him as well. He didn’t know if he could bear that. He would be so alone…it was an intolerable thought.

The two of them filed into the kitchen to find that the hot chocolate Jessica had started was almost done and she and Giles were both sitting at the kitchen table. They took the seats that had been left for them and sat down without a word. The two adults didn’t say anything either, they waited until the hot chocolate was done and served it up complete with little marshmallows melting into a gooey mess in the tops of the cups.

Giles stayed silent as he quizally watched Spike slurp, well as genteelly as you can when drinking hot chocolate, as if couldn’t believe his eyes. Xander, of course didn’t even bother with such social niceties as manners, lost in the enjoyment of her drink.

Jessica of course didn’t break her own silence until the optimum moment. She waited until both men had mouthfuls of hot liquid and heat-soften marshmallows before asking, “So, William, care to tell me just what is so complicated about your relationship with my daughter?”

The question caused Giles to almost choke on his sip of drink and Spike to sputter. Xander groaned and closed her eyes hoping that the Hellmouth would take pity on her and open beneath her so that she wouldn’t have to hear the embarrassing answer she was sure Spike would give with glee.

“Uhh,” Spike searched for away to answer, one that wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag. Xander had told Spike she didn’t want the others to know about the ‘do-over’ for as long as it was possible, something about how knowing to much about the future made it into a self-fulfilling prophesy…or something like that. Spike had tuned out most of the Sci-fi references that she had used when she had explained it. “I plead the fifth, mum.”

Xander groaned and let her head fall to the tabletop, lifted it slightly then let it fall back down again. _‘Dumb, Spike, very dumb. Pleading the fifth was like waving a red flag in front of a bull when it comes to moms’_ , Xander thought. She then kicked Spike in the shin and smiled slightly when he jumped and muttered a quiet, “Ow!”

Giles had taking his glasses off and was trying to polish them into nothing. Jessica raised an eyebrow. Spike raised his back in reply and then lifted a shoulder in a small shrug, causing Jessica to giggle.

“I’m not going to stop asking that, “ Jessica told him, “you know that, don’t you? Because William one of these days I’m going to get answer…a real one.” She qualified before Spike could tell her that he had given her an answer of sorts.

Then Jessica turned and pinned her gaze on Giles, “And you sweetheart,” the word ‘sweetheart’ said in only a slightly sarcastic tone, “why don’t you tell me, why you and that peeping-Angel-guy think my Xan’s Romeo is such a bad sort? Why are you now concerned with him and Xan passing time together? You didn’t mind when he was only ‘Wil’ In fact you said it was good that she had such a friend. What is so different now?”

Spike lifted his cup to his lips to hide his smirk. He couldn’t wait to hear what the Watcher would come up with here. Xander poked him in the side and when he slid his glance over to her, she mouthed ‘be good’ at him.

Jessica rapped on the table to get Giles attention again as he had turned to watch the by-play between Xander and Spike with no little fascination.

“Well? I’m waiting – speak.”

“I…that is to say…well,” Giles stopped when he noticed the smirk on the vampire’s face. Then with the most concerned expression Giles could make, “Well, from what I understand. W-william here and Angel have a…history, you could say.”

At that remark Xander choked on her hot chocolate and once she could breathe again fought to hold back howls of laughter when she saw the expression on Spike’s face. Giles only smirked at the reaction of both the vampire and the dark haired girl.

Jessica’s eyebrow flew up this time and slyly she said, “A history? Well now, that could be taken in more ways than one…” She trailed off suggestively.

“If you’re going to have fun at my expense,” Spike said huffily as he put down his cup.

“I think I will concede and clear the field.” He stood, and took Xander’s hand and he brought it up to his lips kissing the back of it. Letting go of it, he grandly bowed to both Jessica and Giles then makes his way to out. But before he closed the door he yelled back in, “As if I would have that type of history with the Poof,” slight pause, “besides it only happened once and I was drunk at the time!” The door slammed at the exclamation mark.

_And that explains a lot about that relationship_ , Xander thought as she looked down at he hand Spike had kissed rather dazedly then blinked and looked back up at her mother and the Watcher who were looking at her expectantly. She then glared at the door that Spike had so neatly managed to escape from, “That Bastard!” She muttered just having realized the coward had left her to face them on her own. Which he had more than likely planned from moment Jessica asked Spike to come downstairs. At the look in Giles eyes, Xander could only whimper pathically…then a thought occurred to her.

Xander made a show of bringing her hand up and looking down at the back of her wrist as if she was wearing a watch (of course she wasn’t), but that didn’t stop her from saying as if she actually was, “Wouldja lookit at the time! It’s way past my bedtime and a school night at that! G’night”

Then just like Spike before her, she bolted for the door, leaving behind two adults who were very amused for entirely different reasons.

***

The next day at school Xander entered the library during her free period. She happened to share it with Buffy and was hoping they could use the time to spar. Giles, Buffy and Angel were huddled near a table talking softly but stopped when they noticed her. She put her books down on the table and waited for one of them to speak.

“Ah, there you are Xander. We were hoping we could speak to you.” Giles said.

Xander narrowed her eyes and knew without a doubt that this was going to be about…

“Ok, dancing at the Bronze, window side chats and forget the fact you lost your mind and let a dangerous vampire inside your house!” Buffy all but snarled.

Spike, apparently.

“Oh…that.” Xander could tell Buffy had more to say about it but she really wasn’t in the mood to hear any of it and told them, “Gee, don’t worry. Your very own pulse challenged boyfriend has warned me about the dangers he thinks I’m courting.” Sarcasm laced very word heavily.

Xander saw Angel open his mouth to speak and said, “Don’t even, DeadBoy, we had that conversation already.”

Then she turned back to Buffy, “So, I’ll tell you what I told him. The very last thing I’ll do is to underestimate Spike!” Xander’s tone was flippant and seemed to almost dare the Slayer to say something. Buffy in this instant showed more sense than Xander had ever seen in the ‘Before’ and she stayed silent.

“As much as we would like to believe you. We know he wants Buffy dead.” Giles said plainly. Buffy and Angel made sounds of agreement as Xander shook her head.

“No, what he wanted was to cure Drusilla. If Buffy had really gotten in the way of that, then yes, he would have killed her.”

“But she’s cured now. There’s nothing to stop them from killing all of us!” Buffy exclaimed.

Xander sighed and leaned against the table, “Spike is strangely enough a simple creature, and he wanted Drusilla better, now she is. He won’t see any reason to stay. I mean given a choice would you stay in this town if you didn’t have too?”

“So, we should just let two murderous vampires go?” Angel asked.

“Do you really think you’re able to kill your childer, hmmm? The beings you created…” Xander’s voice dropped to a purr, “Flesh of your flesh…blood of your blood…” she pushed away from the table and stalked toward Angel causing him to back away slowly she circled him, “The woman you tortured into insanity. Giving nothing but madness to her forever.” Xander voice was eerily seductive, “And in a fit of jealousy she turned…”

“That’s quite enough, Xander!” Giles said breaking the spell Xander had weaved.

“This isn’t about Angel or what he’ll do.” Buffy said suddenly, a bit put out by Angel’s reaction to what Xander had said, as well as how Xander had said it. “This is about you…you’re weird when it comes to the Billy Idol wannabe…any time we meet him on patrol it’s always you who fights him. But it always seems like you’re just playing with each other. You exchange banter with him, and from some of the things I’ve heard him say…he knows you…and you do the same. And now you’ve let him into your house? What’s with that?”

“Well,” Xander stepped away from Angel but sent him a glare, then shifted uncomfortably, “inviting him in was actually my mom’s doing…” she muttered.

Buffy shook her head she’d had enough of this, “We should stake Spike and Drusilla. End of story.”

“We are not!” Xander almost shouted she stopped took a breath, “Not yet. Let’s see if they leave…or if they come after Buffy…”

The others seemed to relax at Xander answer. Then the bell rang signaling the end of the free period rang, giving Xander the out she needed from anymore award questions or hard answers.

 ***

Spike exhaled the lungful of smoke from the cigarette as he lay on the bed watching Dru dance around the room to the music only she heard. He thought about what she had just rambled out, “Luv, what do you mean you don’t what to leave. There’s nothing more for us here.” Spike tried to explain.

“My sweet one, you can’t leave…” Drusilla said slowly as if explaining something to a child, “before the party ends…”

“Party?” Spike muttered.

“It’s rude if you do.”

“Pet…”

“The twists and turns are a puzzle…Judgment is nearly here. Soon Daddy will punish us for our wicked deeds…”

“That’s great, pet.” It was said flatly. Spike could see his plans going up in smoke because of Dru’s visions.

Drusilla paused in her twirling, she cocked her head to the side and looked at Spike, “Do you think Kitten, will like the chains?”

***

Jessica was sitting in the kitchen with Rupert. They were just recently home from their date and enjoying they’re after ritual. Tea for him, hot chocolate for her, when she heard a sound in the main hall – she wasn’t expecting anyone this late. She and Giles exchanged a look…Xander as far as she knew was upstairs in bed so she had no idea who it could be. She left the kitchen to go and look. The sight that greeted her was the last thing she expected or ever wanted to see…

_Oh, God,_ Jessica thought.

Xander, who she had thought was in bed, was in fact being led into the house leaning heavily on her friend Buffy. Xander’s favorite leather jacket was ruined – the damn thing looked like it had been mauled and one sleeve was torn off. Visible through the rents and rips in various fabrics’ left where the sleeve was missing were slowly oozing claw marks.

“Don’t slam…” Xander started to hiss at the blonde, but it was too late, “…the door.” She sighed, “The last thing I need is…” Xander looked up at a small sound, “Mom? I didn’t think you’d be back for a couple more hours.”

Jessica rushed up to the two girls and helped Buffy bring Xander into the kitchen,” Good thing the movie sucked. Giles and I left early.” She told Xander, when they got to the kitchen, Jessica pointed to a chair and Xander sat down. Jessica gently pulled at the ruined jacket causing Xander to hiss at her in pain.

“Dear lord! Xander are you alright?” Giles asked as he got up and began to run a bowl of hot water as Jessica got the well-stocked first aid kit that was kept in the kitchen.

“Yeah, Giles, I’ll be fine. You know me, can take a shit kicking and keep on sticking.”

Giles shuddered and kept collecting the water, “Xander, I don’t think we need such vulgarities. No matter how accurate you think they are. So why don’t you give us a more comprehensive and informative listing of your injuries so we might treat you.”

Jessica turned and looked at the man, “When did you become a doctor?” then to Xander after she looked at the wounds, “Xan, sweety, I really think we should take you to the hospital.”

“No, no!” Xander exploded, “No hospital! There’s nothing wrong with me that you or Giles can’t treat. Besides with some of these marks someone is going your abusing me. Social Services are the every last thing we need breathing down us!”

“Okay, but you will tell me what happened.” Jessica said to soothe Xander when she saw how upset the idea of the hospital made her daughter. She checked to make sure that her daughter’s modesty wouldn’t be compromised if she removed the remains of the girl’s shirt, it wouldn’t. She did just that and bared Xander down to the dark blue sports bra she was wearing.

Pouring some perxiode into the bowl of water Giles handed to her, Jessica began to bathe the exposed skin, making sure there were no foreign objects embedded anywhere or dirt left behind that might cause an infection.

Meanwhile, Xander had started to list her injuries in a scarily proficient tone, “Three slashes to the right shoulder, deepest at the apex and quickly becoming shallower as they travel on a downwards angle toward my breastbone. Two –“ her breath hitched as she shifted, “make that three cracked ribs and a heavily bruised collarbone, or maybe even a hairline fracture. Heavy bruising all along the right side…I hate crypt walls…” she muttered, “with the ribs and shoulder. Possible kidney bruising from that one lucky shot.”

“Xander…” Giles started, concern laced the word meaningfully, but Xander cut him off, “No, hospitals! How many times do I have to say it?”

“Very well,” Giles capitulated with a sigh. He knew how stubborn Xander could be.

Jessica was incensed by this, “What! Very well? I think perhaps that explanation is going to be more important than I thought.” She growled out, sounding eerily like Xander when she was upset about something.

They didn’t take much longer to get Xander bandaged up. Most of the small stuff Jessica cleaned out and put on some polysporin but left to air. Buffy was also treated even though next to Xander she had nothing to worry about. When they adjourned to the living room.

“Alexandria LaValle,” Jessica said knowing from her daughter’s wince at the use of the full and middle names Xander knew just how serious she was, “You two are going to tell me exactly what happened tonight?” Jessica asked both the girls after they had sat down on the sofa. Giles sat in Xander’s favorite armchair, which was near the front door. She watched as the girls not only exchange a look with each other, but with the man she had come to care a great deal about. This just served to enraged her.

“It was my fault,” Buffy said in a small voice before Jessica could say anything to Giles, “I got distracted. If it hadn’t been for Xan, I’d be…”

Xander spoke up, “Yeah, those gangs members on PCP are…”

“Crazy. They just attack you out of nowhere and really don’t like it when you fight back.” Buffy butted in, trying to make it sound halfway plausible.

Jessica snorted, she really hoped her daughter and Buffy didn’t think she was going to buy that tired excuse, then realized by the look on Xander’s face that Xander thought she would. She thought she should set them straight before they tried to go too far down that path, “Don’t even try laying that one on me, girlchild – Vampires have infested this town for as long as it’s been here. My mother knew it, I know it and now I suppose Xander knows it. Question is, how do you? Most of the new blood never sees it and you never remember…well unless you were born here, although most choose to ignore it.”

Three mouths dropped open at this statement.

“I-I – I’m the Slayer and Giles is my Watcher…”

Jessica could feel the blood drain from her face; she lifted a shaking hand and pushed away a lock of her hair that had fallen in her face. ‘It…nothing ever really changes…’she thought sadly as she sat back in her seat with a sigh. “Oh, you’re one of those. I knew one back in my SHS days. She didn’t last long.” Then she turned a hard, cold look on to Giles, “And you – you’re one of those that allowed her to die. She wasn’t allowed to ask for help. Even though there were those that did so freely.”

“What was her name?” Giles asked softly seeing the hurt and anger on Jessica’s face.

“Freza LaValle…she was my sister.” She said as she glared at him.

It had taken Jessica along time to put her sister’s death behind her. It had been the last thing to top off the worst year of her life. First their parents had died in a mysterious SunnyDale - way she had never really could find out how. She had investigated but was turned away or stonewalled by all official channels so nothing had come from her digging. And then Freza was called to be the Slayer. That had been weird, but fun too in a way. They’d had a blast figuring out the strange crap together, it had been one of the better parts of the year. But then the Watchers Council had found out about Freza and sent her a Watcher to ‘help’. Yeah, right, Freza’s watcher had been the biggest ass in history.

Jessica had met Xander’s father that year as well. Thinking back on it that right there was a good clue on how things were going to turn out. There had been school dances, parties, slaying and then… Freza died.

Her watcher left then all but cursing Freza’s and to some extent Jessica’s names. So, yes, her sister’s death had just been icing on that cake.

“Freza?” Buffy asked incredulously.

Jessica shot the Slayer a meaningful look, “It was a nickname for Francesca and I really think someone called ‘Buffy’ really shouldn’t be saying anything.”

“Mom,” Xander interrupted what could have been the start of something ugly, “I always had the feeling you knew something was up with this town. I mean the squirt gun filled with water in your handbag…holy water, right? The fact our house has garlic plants growing around it, and we’re the only house on the block that has ornate crosses decorating the posts of the porch. So the real question is…”

“Why didn’t we help Freza more…” Jessica said, “I, and some of the others that knew, well, we did all we could. But Freza’s watcher was real bastard. Always harping on how late she was found, and how late in life she was called. She died a little after she turned eighteen. I still haven’t figured out how a vampire got in the house that night…” Turning to Giles, “So, you tell me,” her voice on the verge of breaking with thick emotion, “are you like that bastard who allowed my sister to die?” _‘ Have I made the same mistake again..?_ ’ Jessica wondered.

Xander answered for him, “Mom, me and Willow have been fighting right along side Giles ever since Buffy moved here.”

“Ah, and the others in your so-called ‘medieval club? Do they help the Slayer too?”

Xander nodded.

A confused look crossed Jessica’s face and she blurted out, “I have to ask, it’ll just kill me otherwise. Is the SunnyDale blindness syndrome really getting that bad? You can have all those old books and weapons out like that in the library and nobody notices anything?”

“Hmmm, yeah.” Buffy said, “Hasn’t it always been that way?”

Jessica laughed, “Oh, hell no! It used to be all we could do to cover some of the odder things up. I mean the vamps and other self-disposing demons were never any trouble it was the ones that we had to dispose of that got us in trouble every time.”

Giles perked up, “You mean the damping charm on the town hasn’t always been this powerful? That would mean…it would have been boosted in the last twenty years for some reason.”

“Oh, look Buffy, Giles is going all research-kicky.” Xander said with a grin.

“I’m never going to have a life!” Buffy said with a pout as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Jessica laughed but then returned to her more sober demeanor as she asked, “So where are you guys getting patched up when you run into the tougher buggers out there? I remember sometimes we used to get tossed around something awful and had to go to our one friend’s dad who was a doctor at the ER to get medical attention.”

“Err, well Willow and Amy are really neat hands with the stitches. We all have more than a good grounding in first aid otherwise and field medicine.” Xander said.

“What?” Jessica said horrified. “For little stuff I can understand that but not for anything even slightly serious! You have to take care of yourselves – properly – if you want to keep fighting and winning. Listen, come to me from now on – even if I am at work and I will patch anyone up right. And don’t worry about coming into the hospital, we can keep it all on the QT, nobody needs to know and besides there are a few actual doctors in the know as well in case they are needed too.”

“Oh thank god, you have no idea how much better that makes me feel!” Giles positively gushed. “That has been one of my main fears of allowing anyone to help (not that I could stop them or that I wanted to either), but that someone would get hurt – or Buffy would and I wouldn’t have anywhere to turn to get the help I needed to make sure they didn’t die.”

Jessica eyed Giles thoughtfully for a moment or two and then said, “You really aren’t anything like that prick they sent over to ‘mentor’ my sister are you? You actually care.’

Giles replied, and the two adults were soon immersed in a conversation about their respective views and pasts. It soon diverged into a discussion about the town itself, the people and history. Some was familiar to Xander, some wasn’t. But it did have something niggling at her, teasing her memory…there was something she should remember but for the life of her she couldn’t seem to think of what it could be. Maddening!

***

“So, the lady of the house knows about the night life…ehh, can’t say that surprises me none. But really, pet you do know there is a subject that we have been avoiding in these chats of ours.”

Xander sitting under her window tilted her head back to peer at Spike where he was sitting on the eave outside her window. It was a couple night after her mother had found out that Buffy was a Slayer and Giles a Watcher. Xander's face clearly showed her confusion and he answered it as he brought an unlit cigarette to his lips, “Angelus, or more like Angelus’ return, he never said how he came back, just that he was released by the Slayer.”

Xander sighed and closed the literature book that was resting in her lap, “It’s like a train wreck about to happen. You can see it coming but you just can’t stop it.”

“I think that describes my grandsire at anytime, Xan.” Spike chuckled out, “But seriously. I don’t think I want him to make an appearance. Some of the things Dru has been on about…well they worry me.”

Xander snorted at the remark about Drusilla, “I don’t think anyone but your dear princess wants his return. It’s just I have this feeling I can’t shake…like it’s suppose to happen. That there are reasons as to why it has to happen…I don’t think I can stop it. I haven’t actually been all…’Angel bad, Angel bad’…like I was in the before. And I think Buffy would call me on it if I did a complete one eighty on the subject. Besides who am I to stand in the way of Buffy’s epic romance?”

“Sane?”

“Ah, but we’re not talking about me,” Xander said sadly, “And they do really love each other. It’s kind of sweet. I can see it now that I’m not blinded by jealousy and teenage male hormones…and I can’t believe I just said that!”

Spike growled, “I ‘know’ they love each other. Not contesting that now am I. Just don’t think they’re being sensible is all.”

“This from the vamp who was also in love with said Slayer once. And I’m sure that has nothing to do with your opinion.” Xander drawled.

Spike made a face, “Now that’s just unfair, bringing that up it is. I’m so over her…it’s like it never happened.”

Xander, unseen by Spike rolled her eyes, “Suurree, you keep telling yourself that…As for sensible, please, the one souled vampire in the world meets the current vampire slayer…it’s like the bad plot in one of those romance novels Buffy denies that she reads.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two for a short while after that. They just enjoyed the others presence when Spike suddenly asked, “Heard how Angelus stalked the Slayer, even the bit about Red’s fish…and can’t forget how he tortured the Watcher. But I never heard what he did to you?”

“Nothing.”

Spike frowned at the answer he didn’t believe that. “Oh come on, Xan.”

“No, Spike, really. Angelus didn’t do anything aside from the required death threats. I think I was a non-entity to him then.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to be the case this time around.” Spike told her.

Xander nodded, “Yeah, Angelus will see me a threat to his existence and he’d be right too. He’ll try to take me out. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about power it’s that it draws all sorts, mostly the bad kind.”

“Don’t think it’ll be your power Angelus will be after.” Spike muttered as he lit his cigarette.

Xander craned her head to see over the windowsill, “What do you mean by that?”

But Spike just stayed silent, wondering at how innocent the girl sounded. He knew she had to know the answer to that. But if he was wrong…

Not wanting to disillusion her he just glared out into the night instead of answering her. Causing Xander to sigh again in annoyance as she asked, “So how do you feel about sparring some time…”

***

Xander was slammed up against a crypt wall. A long lean hard body pressed against her pinning her to it. She shook her head to clear it before shoving her attacker off her. She barely avoided the fist that hit the wall behind her. The other’s howl of pain brought a slight smile to Xander’s lips.

“As much as I’m enjoying this, ducks, don’t you think you should…oh, I don’t know…go kill the bad guys?” Spike asked with a grimace as he shook his hand.

“Gee, and here I thought you were one of the bad guys.”

“I am. Just not the one after your blood at the moment. Doesn’t mean the rest of the world is safe from me.” Spike suddenly threw a punch, which Xander easily ducked and landed a hit to the vampire’s stomach, causing him to double over in pain. “It’s late…” he wheezed out, “Don’t you think you should go home? Your mother will be worried, won’t she?”

Xannder snorted, “Nah, told her I’d be with you. She thinks, for some reason I have as yet to figure out, that you’re the gallant sort. Like you’d protect me!”

Spike, putting himself out of immediate range for the moment, leaned on a nearby gravestone. “So,” he said in a nonchant way, “You want to tell me what has put you in such a mood?”

Xander growled her eyes going a glowing green, “Mood!” She hissed out darkly at him before she rushed him. Spike had been expecting this and was able to grab her and threw her away from him.

***

Buffy and Angel had been talking about the newest vampire threat, the Gorches. But it soon turned into a make-out session. Right until a body came flying out of nowhere and came to a rolling stop, breaking a near by gravestone.

Xander sat up and rubbed her head. Buffy and Angel pulled away from each other. They looked at Xander in slight confusion until Spike strolled out of the shadows lighting up a cigarette. Seeing him caused both the souled vampire and the vampire slayer to tense up.

“I don’t normally repeat myself, but I will in this case. So one more time, pet. Just what has put you in such a foul mood?” Spike asked as he steadily ignored the other two.

Xander kipped to her feet, “Foul mood?” She scoffed, “I’m not in a foul mood, whatever gave you that impression?”

“Could have been the punch you threw at me when all I did was say ‘ello.” Spike griped.

“Well I told you I wanted to spar tonight and you didn’t show up until an hour ago – why would that put me in a foul mood do you think?”

Spike made some excuse that used Drusilla as the cause and Angel just groaned, “Damn they are at it again! Why can’t I just go one night without seeing those two doing whatever is their doing?”

Buffy looked at him, then at the bickering pair, and as she watched them she cocked her head to the side. A thoughtful expression crossed her face, “Is it just me or do they have the whole Romeo and Juliet vibe thing going on?”

Angel snorted, “More like ‘The Taming Of The Shrew’. And please don’t mention Xander’s mom or Giles…they’re even worse.”

Buffy shuddered, “You know, putting Giles into a sexual tension situation in my head is just wrong…don’t know how Xander deals with it.”

Xander paused in her bickering with Spike long enough to turn and say with a glare at the other two, “I can hear you, you know. And why does everyone think I’m having some great Shakespearian romance with you, Spike?” Xander whined the last sentence.

“Because first of all I’m bloody irresible, I am.” He said with a smug leer. “And two, well, I am English.”

Xander just growled and hit him again knocking the leer off his face, “Ugg! Conceited much.”

Buffy started to giggle at the disgruntled expression Spike now wore.

“I’m a right prize…”

“Booby prize.” Xander muttered. But Spike continued on as if he hadn’t heard her,

“…I’ll have you know,” it was said, bitchily. “Was even a noble before I was turned. Any lass that takes up with me automatically becomes a lady.”

Both Buffy and Angel burst out laughing. When Buffy managed to calm down enough she said, “With Xan that’s a stretch. Even if you discount that ‘she’ started out as a ‘he’.” Buffy told Spike hoping to shock the vamp about Xander’s true sex. Or at least her original, but nada. Buffy wondered why Spike didn’t react to that but continued, “Xan’s never going to be all that impressed with the girl stuff.”

Xander turned her glare on the blond vampire, “So, I’d have to take up with you to be considered a lady…” She all but purred. The tone caused Spike to take a step back.

“Nice you think so highly of me.”

“Damn it, that’s not what I meant and you know it!” Spike sputtered, “All I was trying to say was, is that I’m a right catch.”

“Whatever.” Xander said dismissively, “It’s time for patrol now. So unless you are coming along to rid the Hellmouth of nasties, it’s time for you to go.” She said as she walked by giving him a light shove.

“But…I just got here!”

Xander shrugged, “Not my problem. You were the one who was late. So deal.”

Xander walked off. Buffy quickly kissed Angel’s cheek and followed after her.

“Crazy bint…” Spike muttered.

Angel just shook his head, “Spike you aren’t exactly the most stable individual either. Besides if Xander was a ‘normal’ girl. You’d be bored to tears.”

Spike laughed, “Ya’know, I think you just might be right there, Peaches.”

Angel sighed and said as Spike walked away, “Must you call me that ridiculous name?”

“Yes,” Spike called over his shoulder, “I really must.”

***

Up head of the two vamps Buffy was attempting to pump Xander for information and was getting nowhere.

“Jeez, Xan, give me a hint!” Buffy exclaimed in frustration, “What is between you and the Bleached Menace?”

“We’re friends,” was the only answer she got. There was not nearly enough information to satisfy the Slayer in that short statement. So she tried again, “But how did you become…so-called friends?”

Xander shrugged, “I don’t know. It just happened. One night I was out on patrol and I ran into Spike. He didn’t try to kill me…then a demon tried to jump both of us…” Xander said disjointedly and then asked, “Why is this so important, Buffy?”

“Because the guy, was and maybe still is, trying to kill us! How could you get so buddy-buddy with some one who wants your friends – namely me – dead! It’s just not right.” Buffy huffed.

“Buffy, he’s never seriously tried to kill us. He only did what he needed to do to cure Drusilla and now that she is…” Xander trailed off hoping Buffy would come to her own conclusions.

“But…” Buffy began.

“But nothing!” Xander snapped, patience obviously at an end. “Besides – she who is openly dating the undead, really has no stones to throw.”

Buffy really couldn’t refute that and subsided. The rest of the patrol was passed in a slightly uneasy silence.

 

 

 

 


	22. Rotten Egg

                   ‘ _Sex is emotion in motion_.'

                             - Mae West.

 

 

_There is when you live on the Hellmouth certain things you just can’t deny…_ _Buffy is strong. Willow is smart. Cordelia is a bitch. You don’t mess with Giles when he is in a Ripperish mood and my mother is just plain scary at times. Spike is hot…err… Wait…no! Annoying, yes that’s it! Annoying very, very annoying. But there wasn’t a demon out there as dangerous as this to teenagers…_ Xander thought as she watched in growing horror as Mr. Whitmore wrote ‘sex’ on the blackboard. Then he turned and to the health class full of students with an uncomfortable expression.

“Sex… The sex drive in the human animal is intense. Some would even say…primal if you will…”

Xander shifted uneasily in her seat.

“…Unwanted sexual thoughts or feelings may occur at this time…”

_A hard, lean, male body pinned her to the crypt wall. The sent of leather and blood flooded her senses…_

“Of course, for teenagers such as yourselves these feelings…”

_The slide of flesh against flesh as her fist repeatedly hit his face…_

“With all sorts of hormones surging…”

_Hunting in the night, prowling, longing for something to relieve the all-consuming…want…frustrating…._

“…Though your bodies, are compelling you into action…”

 S _lamming, punching, kicking - anything to touch the pale, milky white skin. Want…knowing it would be so easy just to… Take…not caring about the repercussions of …Have…_

“What are some of the consequences?”

Xander shook her head to clear her thoughts. More and more lately she found herself thinking….

“Well it depends. Are you talking about sex in the car or out of the car…” Cordelia asked. When the teacher looked confused so she clarified. “Because I have this one friend…”

Xander could only snicker at the cheerleader’s question. Sometimes when Cordelia said things like that, Xander really had to question what she was thinking, because really? But then Willow began to speak and Xander had an ‘aha’ moment, apparently the two girls were apparently fighting.

“…I mean someone may seem all spiffy, but if they ignored their flossing the bloom would definitely go off the rose,” Willow said bitingly.

Xander was holding back howls of laugher, by this time through sheer will alone. Cordelia raised her hand again and Mr. Whitmore looked like he wanted to do anything but let the girl speak, but still nodded giving her the permission to do so.

“Bloom off the rose? Yeah, like kissing someone who thinks the Hoover technique is a big turn on.” Cordelia hissed.

“What about having to fake interest in their vapid chatter just to…” Willow trailed off at the incensed look Cordelia sent her.

“Anyone else? Please?” The teacher asked, hoping to steer away from the topic the two girls were going on about.

“What about pregnancy?” Amy piped up from the back of the classroom.

“Thank you, Amy…” Mr. Whitmore said, with no little amount of relief, as he walked over to a nearby table and pulled off a sheet covering some egg cartons. He then explained that they would be using them in a parenting assignment.

Xander noticed Larry looking at her with a hopeful expression and thrust her hand up in the air. She waved it around, “Yes, Xander?” Mr. Whitmore asked.

“Can I be a single parent? I mean shouldn’t alternate life styles be considered?”

The teacher frowned, and then nodded, “That is a great idea! Hmmm, yes, you and I think Buffy Summers should be our token single parents. Larry Hines and Harmony Kendal should be our normal boy-girl couple. Amy, Jonathan and Oz will be our group parents…a triad if you will….”

“It’s called a ménage a trios actually…” the voice caused almost every person in the class to turn and look at him, Jonathan shrugged. “Well, it is.” He said almost defensively.

“Uh…right.” Said Whitmore, “And Cordelia and Willow shall be our female couple…”

“What!” came in unison as both girls shrieked out.

At this Xander just gave up and let out the hyena-like cackles.

***

“It’s not funny Xander!” Willow complained as they sat in the library. “I mean you wouldn’t think so if you were paired with that…that…Ugg!”

Giles is behind the counter doing librarian stuff and pretending not to listen to the girls.

Xander, who had finally gotten herself under control said, “Trust me, I understand more than you can imagine.”

“Imagine what?” Buffy asked as she walked into the library.

“What it would be like to be with Cordelia.”

Buffy got a far off look to her eyes, “Xander and Cordelia…” she murmured then came back to herself with a shudder, “Please don’t ever say that again…” she whimpered with the begging eyes.

Willow frowned, “I didn’t think you were homophobic, Buffy.”

Buffy blinked and realized belatedly what she said could have been be taken that way. She shook her head, “I’m not. At least I hope I’m not. It’s just - there are some people who should never be together no matter what sex they are…Because they could like…take over the world…if they stopped making out long enough, that is.”

“Oh.” Willow said, mollified by the answer. Then she switched subjects, “So how come you weren’t in class?”

“Vampire issues. Do you think Whitmore noticed I was tardy?” Buffy said in a tongue in cheek way.

“Tardy implies you were actually going to show up.” Xander said with a knowing grin.

“I think the word you want is absent.” Willow told her, “Oh, and he did notice, so he wanted me to give you this.” She pulled out an egg and handed it to her.

Buffy took it and rolled it around in her hands, “Ok I’ll bite. What’s it for?”

“It’s your baby.” Willow said with a smile.

“Yeah, say hello to Angel junior.” Xander said with a smirk. “It’s the whole ‘sex is bad and can lead to demonic pregnancy thing…”

Willow frowned, “That’s not…”

“Think about it. You got paired up with Cordelia.” They all paused for a moment to let that sink in, she turned to Buffy and said, “You gotta take care of the egg, it’s a baby. You have to keep it safe and teach it values like…when in doubt always go with beheadings cause hardly anything can survive with out its head…. Except of course, a couple of demons, but they don’t ever live on Hellmouths. So no worries there.” When Buffy and Willow just stared blankly at her, “Or…you know, Christian/Pagan values…”

***

A bright pink basket with fake white grass sat on Xander’s desk. Her egg safely nestled in it. She stared at the pink and white thing that was her mother’s sense of humor. _She_ , Xander thought of her mother, _is just plain evil_.

“Only the best for my grandchild…” Jessica Harris had said with a laugh as she handed Xander the basket.

_Now I know where I get it from_. Xander thought irritably.

“Alright,” Xander said to herself as she opened the notebook that she would be using for her egg journal. “Let’s see…Feeding. Check. Burping…yeah, check. Diapers…” Xander wrinkled her nose, “Ok, that’s just gross but…check. Now then I guess it’s bath time.” She frowned, and looked over at the unassuming egg. She could almost see the pitiful look it would be giving her if it were actually alive and snapped at it. “Don’t give me that look, mister!”

Not feeling funny about talking to the egg in the least. She picked up the basket and walked out of he room and down to the kitchen, “ It will be for your own good and I mean literally. Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know. Normally when some one says that they mean for ‘their’ own good and not the person they’re saying it about, but honestly this is for ‘our’ good – yours and mine!” She set the basket on the table and got a pan. Then ran some water in it before setting the pan on he stove. “It’s the only way I won’t fail parenting 101…You have to trust me on this, Eggenstien.”

***

Xander walked into the library, idly swinging the bright pink basket. Buffy and Willow were sitting at a table with research books spread out around them. Xander put her basket on the table near the edge and sat down with them. She propped her feet up on the table and grabbed the nearest book. “How goes the Gorch hunting?”

“No, Gorches.” Buffy sighed out then tossed her book down, it bounced slightly then skid across the table and hit Xander’s egg basket knocking it off the table.

“Oh, god! Xander, I’m sorry!” Buffy said in a slightly panicked shriek.

Xander rolled her eyes and picked the basket off the floor, “I think you’re letting the burden of parenthood get to you.” Xander said as she put the basket back onto the table then picked the egg up off the floor. Tossing it up and down in her hand absently as she reached for another book, “You can’t stress over things. A kid can pick up on that, which just leads to neurotic break-downs.”

“Cordelia had ours for only an hour,” Willow said in an envious tone, “she let a football player who was putting the moves on her…like he’s ever get anywhere, she does have some standards.” Willow noticed the wide-eyed looks her friends were giving her for her rant, “Well, he sat on it. So why didn’t yours break, Xander?”

Xander shrugged and grinned, “Just did what the assignment said, and gave it a bath. For…oh, about eight minutes.”

“Y-yo-you boiled your young!” Willow said shocked.

“Think of it like immunization, Wills.”

“Immunization?”

“Yeah, to ward off whatever icky thing out there that is out to get it, in this case…”

“Getting squished.” Buffy finished and then said, “Well, at least she didn’t eat it.”

“Yet.” Xander replied. The ‘eww’ looks the two other girls gave Xander was all the answer she needed for their thoughts on that.

“Technically, that’s cheating.” Giles said as he looked up from what he was doing.

“Giles, with my luck some demon would’ve come along and it would’ve gotten broken in the fight or eaten anyway.” Xander said.

Buffy looked down at her own egg at that, “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea…”

Willow shook her head, “You both should be ashamed.”

Buffy looked a bit sheepish while Xander just looked mystified. “Why Wills? Parents the world over regularly take their kids to get stabbed with a needle full of deadly diseases and their antibodies while they are babies as a preventive tactic – this wasn’t any different.”

Xander stopped tossing her egg and put it back in the basket as Giles said, “Well, I suppose there is a sort of…elegant ingenuity to your scheme, Xander.”

Xander said, “Thank You,” just as Cordelia walked in. Cordelia told them that Mr. Whitmore hadn’t shown up at all that day. Willow quickly suggested that they go look for him and all but dragged Cordelia out of the library.

‘Well, I wonder which closet I’ll find them in…I so hoped Cordelia wouldn’t be a closet case this…’ But Xander’s thought was interrupted when Buffy asked, “Are they weird? Do you think they’re getting weirder? Have you noticed the weirdness of them?” the spate of questions came out in a babble worthy of the redhead they were centered around.

Xander smirked and with a shake of her head said, “Nope,” to answer all three questions.

***

That night…

Xander glared as she looked down at the body she had pinned down under her foot, “The Gorches, what do you know…”

A sigh came from said body, “Still in that mood, uh…pet.”

Xander just ground her foot harder into the back of Spike’s neck.

“Okay….okay!” The vampire pleaded. Xander took her foot off him and stepped away from him. She eyed him warily. Spike rolled over and put his hands behind his head,

“Lyle and Tector Gorch their about as old as me.”

“So they’re Masters?”

Spike laughed, “Hardly, they are just a couple of minions that have gotten lucky to have lived this long. Made their ‘rep’ by massacring an entire Mexican village in 1886…and that was before they got vamped. They’re only here cause of the Hellmouth’s energy most likely…”

Then he kipped back onto his feet and stalked over to Xander with a predators grace, he leaned into Xander’s space and purred, “Is the newest vampire threat to the town what you really want to talk about…” he skillfully slipped and arm around Xander’s waist as he continued silkily looking down into her brown eyes, “Cause I can think of other things I’d rather do.”

Xander just gave him, her sweetest smile. And really, that should have warned him… then she hauled off and punched Spike in the face. As Spike hit the ground he dazedly thought that it wasn’t such a good idea to spar with Xander when she was in this type of mood.

***

_Well…glad that’s over…poor Jono though getting hit by Amy and Oz who were possessed by the demon eggs. Lucky for him he had the same idea I did._ Xander thought as she walked down the street towards Buffy’s house. _The creepy-crawly got put down. It really wasn’t my fault I didn’t remember that. I mean almost everyone I came across hit me in the ‘Before’. Plus I was with Cordelia at the time. Is it any wonder I blocked it out? I just hope Willow and Cordelia will kiss and make up._

“So…pet…” came the cool but slightly nervous voice, Xander looked up and saw Spike, leaning against a tree holding himself propped up by his arm, beside a familiar house. She wondered at the uneasy tone Spike had used and then remembered that her apparent mood for the last few days hadn’t been the best. Frankly it had been the pits, she admitted to herself. Of course anything that could make Spike this nervous…well, it couldn’t really be all that bad of a thing, now could it? So all she said was,

“Ask me about my mood again and I will hit you.”

Spike just nodded, “So, we sparring, tonight?”

“Nah,” Xander said with a shake of her head then grinned, “Not in the mood.”

Spike snorted at the answer then asked, “So, where’s the Slayer? Shouldn’t she be out patrolling about now?”

“She got grounded.” Xander told him then at his inquiring look, “Something about her mom and not being responsible…or something like that. I didn’t ask.” Xander said as she passed by him. Spike shoved away from the tree and followed Xander as she walked around the side of the house and then looked up. Spike followed the girl’s gaze to see…

Buffy leaning out her window and Angel sitting on the eave of the roof next to the window. It looked like they had been making out with each other for a while.

“How foul and loathsome is thine image…” Xander said, aloud enough for the two making out to hear. Spike burst out laughing.

Buffy and Angel glared down at the smirking brunette and the laughing bleached blond. They exchanged a suffering look with each other as they heard Spike reply with, “Couldn’t agree with you more, luv!”

 

 


	23. Slice Of Life

“Pet, are you sure about this?” Spike muttered as he brought a cigarette to his mouth. He flipped open the lighter, the sliver case glinted in the moonlight.

“Yeah,” Xander said as she climbed the chain link fence that surrounded a complex of buildings.

“Ya’know most people would just go to the mall.” Spike said leaning against the fence.

“True. But I hate going to the mall. I mean have you ever been forced to go shopping with one of the girls?” Xander asked as she landed on the other side of the fence.

Spike shook his head.

“Be grateful. Besides what I want to get Buffy for her B-day I can’t get at the mall. It will be the perfect gift, I’m sure.”

Spike turned and looked through the fence with a look of confusion, “Heavy artillery is the perfect gift for a sixteen year old girl?”

Xander got an annoyed look on her face and replied, “It’s what I wanted when I was sixteen.”

***

Some things never changed it seemed. There was still late nights of slaying, which was much easier now that Xander’s mother knew what she was doing. If only Buffy would do the same but Buffy wanted to protect Joyce by not telling her. Where the sense was in that Xander didn’t know? Early morning classes… Xander would be much happier if school didn’t start until say…uhh…about noon.

Because if it did she wouldn’t have to deal with people like…Harmony Kendall. Xander glared at the blond girl. Why she was in their group Xander couldn’t figure but knew it was all Cordelia’s fault. Because it wasn’t like Harmony...Uggg! Why the blond still got under her skin Xander didn’t know. It was just one of those things that just couldn’t be changed.

_Vapid…thy name is Harmony_. Xander thought as she watched the girl toss her long blond hair over her shoulder after the snarky remark she made. One blond with an attitude problem was all she needed in her life. Then wondered if the blond in question was Spike or Buffy. Either, or, it didn’t really matter – they were both major pains in her butt for different reasons, but both at least were useful and providing members of society.

The same could not be said for Harmony.

“Xander are you listening to me?” Willow’s voice broke through her preoccupation and Xander looked over at the redhead. “Cordelia and I are going to go get the supplies that we need, you and Harmony…should really touch nothing.”

Xander rolled her eyes. Yeah, like her touch would make the project spontaneously combust….that incident in the third grade science fair not withstanding, besides Cordelia’s hair did grow back. Though she couldn’t vouch for what ‘harm’ Harm would do…an appropriate name if there ever was one, and when it’s given to you by a vampire that is really saying something there, she mentally chuckled.

Cordy sniffed, affecting a bored air while Willow’s earnest eyes looked at her imploringly and Xander realized she was going to have to verbally reassure her oldest friend. She threw her hands up and said, “Sheesh, of course I won’t touch it since you asked me not to. It’s understood, go already!”

Willow smiled brightly at her and she and Cordelia were gone in a swirl of colors and scents. Harmony left on their heels and made her way over to a group that was made up of the rest of the Cordettes, there was no way she was going to hang around a loser like Harris when a better class of person was available.

But after a moment or two sitting alone at their project desk she got bored. Her hands began to twitch and she knew that if she was going to keep her promise to Wills she was going to have to find something else to occupy herself. Glancing around for inspiration her eyes lit upon the foursome that included Amy, Jono, and Oz.

Xander growled lowly to herself when she saw that Andrew Wells was sitting next to Jono. But shook herself, she really had to stop growling when she saw him. Xander noticed that Amy was sitting between Jono and Oz, and at how closely all three were sitting together. Xander knew that after the shooting during the Career Fair, Jono and Amy started to hang out with Oz.

_Huh? Did I miss something there?_ Xander thought puzzled. _Must have, cause I knew they were friends but that is much more that ‘friend’ closeness there –it’s more like…_ Xander sat straight up as if electrified. Jonathan, Amy and Oz had gone and become a trio! ‘Well that at least explains how Jono knew the meaning of Ménage a trios.’

Xander wandered over to the table with the threesome and Andrew. She pulled up a chair turned it around and straddled it.

“Buffy’s B-day is coming up. Only two more shopping weeks left. Luckily for me I got the prefect gift all tucked away.” Xander told them.

Oz didn’t say anything as per his usual wont; he just raised an expressive eyebrow. Amy and Jonathan both gave her a dirty look. Xander just grinned and said, “What? I suck at shopping so the one time I got it done early I am going to feel free to gloat. Can you blame me?”

“Nope.” Oz spoke for them all. Well except Andrew who said, “You don’t like shopping? Why? I thought all girls liked to shop.” His three project-mates cringed. Xander was not like ‘all girls’ and to expect her to act that way or even assume she was that way was a really bad idea. Xander just ignored the little putz, she remembered him from the future all too clearly and knew his mouth engaged with out his brain all the time.

Instead she asked, “So Oz, I was thinking that your band could play at Buff’s party. She really likes the music you guys play.” Which was only a small fib, Dingoes Ate My Baby were in fact the best of all the small town bands in Sunnydale.

***

Xander tried not to growl at Harmony but…Well, class had been about half over when she came up to Xander interrupting her conversation with the others, telling her that Cordelia and Willlow were not back yet.

Which explained how Xander was standing out side the supply closet trying to ignore Harmony’s commentary on Cordelia’s dating disasters. There came a thump and a thud then a not quite pained moan. No, it was quite passionate actually.

Xander opened the closet door, reached in and turned on the light, making the occupants squeak in surprise.

“What are you doing in there?” Harmony asked as Cordelia began to look worried and Willow’s face began to turn red. Harmony hadn’t noticed that the two girls were wrapped around each other like a silk ribbon and barbed wire… and wasn’t that a strange thought. Xander was brought out of her thought when Harmony said,

“This is the closet you’d bring guys to make-out in with…”

Three…Two…One…and,

“Oh My God! You’re gay now! Why didn’t you tell me? I’m…like your best friend!”

_Trust Harmony to make it all about her_. Xander thought with a snicker.

“Xander, Xander! Why haven’t you said anything?” Willow asked worriedly as she and Cordelia came out of the closet literally and figuratively.

Xander shrugged, “I already knew.”

“Oh, you did?”

“Yeah, Wills. It’s not like you and Cordy hid it all that well.”

“You’ve been in the locker room with us! And you like girls now…” Harmony said suddenly realization coloring her tone. Xander just snickered at Harmony and wished she had popcorn for the up coming Cordelia snark fest.

“Only the smart and nice ones.” Cordelia said.

“Oh, good.” Said Harmony.

“Yeah, you were always perfectly safe.” Willow said in an innocent voice.

Harmony blinked at that statement…then understanding dawned on her, “Hey!”

Xander laughed out loud. Willow always could surprise her.

 

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr: lln3dseethelight.tumblr.com  
> Come talk to me


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